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SAN JOSE – The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is sponsoring a free, two-day seminar on protecting IP abroad. Piracy and counterfeiting cost the American economy approximately $250 billion annually, the U.S. PTO says.

The event, China Road Show: Protecting Your Intellectual Property in China & the Global Marketplace, takes place Nov. 7-8, in San Jose.

The program will cover IP theft and protection, product and part counterfeiting. It also will include comprehensive coverage of enforcement strategies against IP theft from China. Presenters include the U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The program is for any company that wants to learn about protecting its products from counterfeiting and piracy – even those companies that have no plans to sell or manufacture their products in China.

Among the speakers are Tom Valliere of Design Chain Associates, Fairchild Semiconductor's legal counsel, and Debra Eggeman, general manager of the Independent Distributors of Electronics Association.

To register, visit http://www.uspto.gov/main/homepagenews/bak2007oct19.htm.

WASHINGTON – Durable goods orders fell in September for the second straight month, the Commerce Department reported today. Orders dropped 1.7% after dropping 5.3% in August, the first back-to-back declines in more than a year, on lower demand for autos, computers and electronics products, among other items.

Most economists felt orders would rise, and blame is being attributed to housing finance and other credit problems.

Durables are defined as manufactured goods that have a life of at least three years.