Jakarta. Indonesia is stepping up its efforts to be removed from the blacklist of countries with poor intellectual property enforcement, known as the Priority Watch List.

During the Intellectual Property Crime Forum in Jakarta on Tuesday, Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna H. Laoly highlighted that intellectual property rights are a significant factor in determining investor confidence in Indonesia.

"I am confident that Indonesia will be able to get off the priority watch list," he said.

Yasonna emphasized that the Ministry, through the Directorate General of Intellectual Property (DJKI), is dedicated to providing maximum protection to intellectual property rights holders and ensuring strict law enforcement against violators, both domestically and internationally.

He stressed that a conducive business environment, fostering creativity, and attracting investment are crucial for increasing international trust in Indonesia.

"Therefore, efforts to protect and enforce intellectual property rights must be continuously improved," he added.

The Priority Watch List is a catalog published by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR). It identifies countries believed to have inadequate or ineffective protection of intellectual property rights or insufficient market access for American intellectual property-based goods. Countries on this list face increased scrutiny and potential trade sanctions if they fail to address these issues.

In 2023, Indonesia once again found itself on the list, alongside Argentina, Chile, China, India, Russia, and Venezuela.

In recent years, DJKI has undertaken various efforts to remove Indonesia from the list. One such effort was participation in the International Law Enforcement Community or Interpol on December 13, 2022.

DJKI also established an Operational Task Force comprising law enforcement agencies and relevant ministries. These include the Ministry of Communication and Informatics, the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM), the Ministry of Finance, and the Indonesian National Police (Polri).

The task force also involves the Trade Ministry, Foreign Affairs Ministry, Health Ministry, and the Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Ministry.