PREVENTING THE IMPORTATION OF GOODS INFRINGING U.S. PATENTS: MEET THE INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION

Exporters of products or systems which incorporate sophisticated foreign components or technology could lose their source of supply, if the imported parts are blocked from entry into the United States under an increasingly used unfair trade law. Knowing how this important statute works may help firms avoid this legal pitfall.U.S. patent law prevents the use, sale, manufacture and importation of products and materials which infringe a valid United States Patent. Enforcement of U.S. patent laws is often conducted by utilizing the power of the International Trade Commission ("ITC" or the "Commission"), an independent tribunal which is part of the executive branch of government. The ITC has the power to prevent the importation of goods that infringe a valid U.S. Patent.