Recent stories
In one of his first official acts, President Trump issued a memorandum effectively withdrawing the United States from the global corporate minimum tax deal negotiated through the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The 15 percent minimum tax, agreed upon in 2021, had not been implemented in U.S. law.
President Trump is threatening Russia with taxes, tariffs and sanctions if Russian President Putin does not come to the table to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine. On the campaign trail, Mr. Trump said he would end the war in his first day in office, though Russian President Putin has shown little interest in negotiating a cease fire.
The State Department released an update on the prior year's arms trade, with Foreign Military Sales at their highest levels in history and Direct Commercial Sales up smartly from the prior period.
In FY2024 the total value of transferred defense articles and services and security cooperation activities conducted under the Foreign Military Sales system was $117.9 billion. This represents a 45.7% increase, up from $80.9 billion in FY2023.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office invites public comments and testimony on whether the U.S. should sign and implement the Treaty on Intellectual Property, Genetic Resources, and Associated Traditional Knowledge.
The treaty addresses IP issues concerning genetic resources (GRs), traditional knowledge (TK), and traditional cultural expressions (TCEs). Article 3 mandates patent applicants disclose the origin or source of GRs or TK when a claimed invention depends on their specific properties.
The Justice Department announced the indictment of five men for their involvement in a "laptop farming" scheme which involved obtaining remote IT work with US companies to generate revenue for the North Korean Governement (DPRK).
According to the indictment, the defendants used forged and stolen identity documents, including U.S. passports containing the stolen personally identifiable information of a U.S. person, to conceal the true identities of North Korean co-conspirators, so that these North Korean nationals could circumvent sanctions and other laws to obtain employment with U.S. companies.
The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) will hold the 2025 Update Conference on Export Controls and Policy from Tuesday, March 18 through Thursday, March 20 at the Washington Hilton hotel in Washington, D.C. This 37th annual conference will be offered in-person only, for two and a half days, with an evening reception.
The registration fee will be $1,750. Sessions will include keynote speakers, plenaries, breakout sessions, and live Q&A with BIS and other agency experts. Specific details and agenda to come.
More news
