Canada, Spain among IAPC anti-piracy priorities
International Anti-Piracy Caucus identifies Spain, Canada, Mexico, Russia and China as anti-piracy priorities for 2009
The Congressional International Anti-Piracy Caucus in the US has announced its "watch list" of offending nations it will monitor in 2009.
The nations identified by the IAPC included China, Russia, Canada, Spain and Mexico. Canada has been targetted by the IAPC since 2006, while the US Trade Representatives Office, which generates a separate annual watch list, identified Canada in 2009 for the first time.
"In tough economic times it's more important than ever to safeguard intellectual property," said US Senator Sheldon Whitehouse.
"American entertainment and software companies create millions of jobs, generate millions of dollars in tax revenue, and drive much of our country's research and development. Piracy threatens those jobs, those revenues and the value of that research, and we need bipartisan solutions to stop it."
The Entertainment Software Association applauded the IAPC's efforts saying: "We thank the Caucus for this year issuing a challenge to Canada and Mexico to pass additional legislative protections – such as prohibitions on mod chips and other circumvention devices that are used to play pirated games – and to follow through with greater enforcement and border controls."
The IAPC has released an annual list of offending nations since its inception in 2003. The caucus briefs congressional delegates traveling abroad on piracy concerns, hosts forums for IP protection, and works with the US House and Senate on hearings and legislation related to piracy.