Options for Intellectual Property Litigation Against Foreign Entities

In the right circumstances, U.S. businesses can enforce their intellectual property against foreign companies through litigation in the United States. In particular, intellectual property enforcement actions against foreign businesses filed at the International Trade Commission ("ITC") and in U.S. district courts can be highly effective. An understanding of the benefits and limitations of actions filed in the ITC and in district courts is important both for U.S. companies considering how to enforce their intellectual property rights against foreign businesses and for foreign companies that have been threatened with litigation or find themselves defending intellectual property cases in the United States.