MAIN NEWS HEADLINES
October 25 – November 1, 2007 Edition
Publishers Laud
Proposed Anti-Counterfeiting
Trade Agreement
WASHINGTON, DC/10/23/07–The Association of American Publishers (AAP) applauded today’s launch of a major new international initiative to protect intellectual property. The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement was announced simultaneously by the United States and key trading partners to bring together governments committed to strong intellectual property rights protection in order to establish agreed standards for enforcing those rights.
The announcement today by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and the Congressional Caucus on Intellectual Property and Piracy Prevention demonstrates the US government’s commitment to fight piracy and counterfeiting by increasing global cooperation, strengthening the framework of enforcement practices, and enhancing worldwide enforcement measures. The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement contains provisions for international cooperation among enforcement authorities, sharing of “best practices” for preventing IPR infringement, and construction of an up-to-date legal framework on which to build effective anti-piracy and anti-counterfeiting measures. Specific areas of focus include Internet infringements, criminal and civil enforcement measures, optical disc piracy and improved prevention of cross-border piracy and counterfeiting.
AAP President and CEO and former Congresswoman Pat Schroeder expressed the industry’s support for this initiative: “Threats such as Internet piracy and shipment of pirated books and journals across borders are growing daily. The proposed agreement can strengthen international cooperation in these and other vital areas, building on the work that has started with bilateral free trade agreements. Book publishers will support the US and other governments on this important and promising endeavor.”
The initial group of trading partners has agreed to an outline that will frame the discussions. AAP will follow the negotiations closely, anticipating that the talks will lead to a strong agreement which will embody the signatories’ common interest in ensuring that intellectual property rights protection keeps pace with the rapidly changing environment in which right holders operate.
AAP is the national trade association of the US book publishing industry. The association’s approximately 300 members include most of the major commercial book publishers in the United States, as well as smaller and non-profit publishers, university presses and scholarly societies. The protection of intellectual property rights in all media, the defense of intellectual freedom, and the promotion of reading and literacy are among the association’s primary concerns.
