Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930 prohibits unfair methods of competition or other unfair acts in the importation of products into the United States. It also prohibits the importation of articles that infringe valid U.S. patents, copyrights, processes, trademarks, semiconductor products produced by infringing a protected mask work, or protected design rights (collectively IPR). While the statute has been utilized to counter imports of products judged to be produced by unfair competition, monopolistic, or anti-competitive practices, it has become increasingly used for its IPR enforcement functions in recent years. Under the statute, the importation or sale of an infringing product is illegal only if a U.S. industry is producing an article covered by the relevant IPR exists or is in the