US Trade Group Accuses Canada of Being Among 'Top Copyright Violators'

In a filing to the United States Trade Representative on Monday, the U.S.-based International Intellectual Property Alliance has called for Canada to be placed on the American government's Priority Watch List of copyright bad guys. This puts Canada in the same category as China and Russia that are frequent targets of U.S. criticism for intellectual property piracy.

The Alliance represents hundreds of U.S. firms producing and distributing copyrighted materials.

The group wants the U.S. government to establish stronger international anti-piracy norms, and more effective enforcement. That could include trade sanctions.

Further background:

• U.S. groups chide China, Russia, Canada for piracy (Reuters, February 11, 2008): "U.S. business software companies lost an estimated $511 million in sales last year in Canada because of piracy, up from $494 million in 2006, the International Intellectual Property Alliance said. One-third of the business software used in Canada in 2007 was an illegal copy, down just 1 percentage point from the previous year, the group said. Also, 10 years after signing World Intellectual Property Organization treaties extending copyright protections to the Internet, Canada still has taken 'no meaningful steps toward modernizing its copyright law to meet the global minimum standards,' the group said."
• Canada a top copyright violator, U.S. group says (CBC News, February 12, 2008): "A total of 51 countries were named as significant violators (...) Canadian copyright experts said the IIPA's recommendations should be taken with a grain of salt, since the organization has singled out a good number of countries that have trade dealings with the United States. 'It's little more than a lobbying exercise which lacks reliable and objective analysis,' said University of Ottawa internet law professor Michael Geist. 'With 51 countries, some of which are leaders in Europe and Asia, Canada is in very good company. It almost begs the question — who's the one that's really offside here?' "