U.S. International Trade Commission Section 337 Basics and Trends

The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) can stop the importation of goods that infringe on U.S. intellectual property rights. With its expedited schedule and specialized procedures, the ITC resolves disputes quickly and issues remedial orders enforced at U.S. ports of entry by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents. Under 19 U.S.C. § 1337 (Section 337), the ITC conducts investigations and provides relief for intellectual property rights holders by barring the importation or sale after importation of goods that infringe upon a utility patent, design patent, trademark, or copyright, or goods that are made using misappropriated trade secrets.

This presentation provided an overview of ITC practice and procedure in Section 337 investigations and discussed recent trends in Section 337 investigations and related Federal Circuit appeals.