AAP Welcomes 2021 USTR Special 301 Report Addressing Continuing Copyright Protection and Enforcement Issues

The Association of American Publishers (AAP) welcomes the release of the 2021 Special 301 Report by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR). The report, which highlights key markets in which publishers have significant copyright concerns and face market-access barriers, is a critically important tool for policymakers to use in identifying issues that impede the ability of U.S. copyright owners to compete in foreign markets.

China is once again listed as a Priority Watch List country, as online piracy and the sale of counterfeit products on ecommerce sites continue to be significant problems. Canada also remains on the Watch List, with the Report noting that the U.S. government “remains deeply troubled by the ambiguous education-related exception added to the copyright law in 2012, which reportedly has significantly damaged the market for educational publishers and authors.”

“AAP greatly appreciates the continued efforts of USTR and its interagency colleagues to highlight the concerns of U.S. rights holders through the Special 301 process. Strong copyright protection and adequate enforcement are essential to publishers’ continued ability to deliver informative, educational, and entertaining content,” said Lui Simpson, Senior Vice President for Global Policy at AAP.
https://publishers.org/news/aap-welcomes-2021-ustr-special-301-report-addressing-continuing-copyright-protection-and-enforcement-issues/

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