IIPA provides input for US Trade Representative on copyright enforcement

Every year, the US Trade Representative assesses which countries provide little protection of intellectual property. Without proper IP protection or other obstructions to fair market conditions, is the rationale, (American) firms face unduly difficult conditions to do business in.

As part of this assessment, public input is requested. The International Intellectual Property Alliance, an alliance of US trade associations of IP-intensive industries, has responded to this request with an overview of countries in which they feel IP protection could improve. To this end, it has created a “priority watch list” and a “watch list” of countries that are known for their relaxed intellectual property laws or enforcement of these laws. High on the lists are countries like China, Russia, India and Mexico, but also Spain, Canada, Argentina and Chile.

In the IIPA’s contribution, the emphasis lies on online copyright infringement and the proliferation of illegitimate copies of digital goods. The RIAA, representing the music industry, has highlighted some of the findings. Under the pirate friendly regime in Spain, the market for music has shrunk by 55% over the last five years. As a direct result, no new artists have been able to break through in the country’s top 50 for two years. Also, huge markets like China and the Russian Federation remain chaotic and are home to some of the most notorious pirate sites.

The RIAA estimates that currently, there are 17% fewer professional musicians in the US compared to 10 years ago. Thus, the RIAA observes, while Internet offers great opportunities for sharing reaching a global audience, it also provides an environment over which they have little control over their works and in which have a hard time earning their living.