IIPA recommended that the Philippines and Vietnam be elevated to the Priority Watch List, where they would join Indonesia, India, China, Thailand and seven other countries around the globe, including Canada, Argentina, Ukraine and Spain.
“The Special 301 process remains an effective trade tool for pursuing strong copyright protection, anti piracy measures, and open markets for creative content,” said Eric H Smith, counsel to IIPA. “The US core copyright industries − business software, entertainment software, motion picture, television and home video entertainment, music, and book and journal publishing − remain important drivers of the US economy, contributing mightily to domestic growth and employment, including more than 6.4% to the US economy, over 4% of all US jobs, and over US$126 billion annually in revenue from foreign trade. Increasing exports by reducing trade barriers like piracy is essential to our country’s economic recovery and long term growth.”
The IIPA also recommended placing 19 countries on the Watch List, including Brunei, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
