Switzerland effectively enforces intellectual property rights linked to patents and trademarks, however Switzerland was until recently on USTR’s Special 301 Watch List due to specific difficulties in enforcing copyright laws on the Internet. In 2020, USTR removed Switzerland from the Watch List in recognition of legislation that came into force on April 1, 2020, intended to address these difficulties. This was an important step after many years of engagement, and the United States is carefully monitoring the implementation, interpretation, and effectiveness of the legislation.

In any foreign market companies should consider several general principles for effective protection of their intellectual property. For background, link to our article on Protecting Intellectual Property and Stopfakes.gov for more resources. For more information, contact ITA’s Office of Intellectual Property Rights Director, Stevan Mitchell at Stevan.Mitchell@trade.gov.

For more resources contact Rachel Bae (rachel.bae@trade.gov), IP Attaché.

To access Canada’s ICS, which includes information on the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights, visit the U.S. Department of State Investment Climate Statement website.