Tom Ivan's
The US Trade Representative (USTR) has for the first time placed Canada on its “priority watch list” for failure to enforce effective intellectual property protection.
The decision, which was applauded by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), places Canada on a list of countries deemed to have the worst record of preventing piracy and the counterfeiting of US goods, which also includes China, Russia, Algeria and Indonesia.
"In this time of economic uncertainty, we need to redouble our efforts to work with all of our trading partners - even our closest allies and neighbors such as Canada - to enhance protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights in the context of a rules-based trading system," said USTR ambassador Ron Kirk, according to Reuters.
“Canada’s weak laws and enforcement practices foster game piracy in the Canadian market and pave the way for unlawful imports into the US,” said Michael Gallagher, CEO of the ESA.
“Canada contributes significantly to the development of today’s leading games - creating thousands of high-paying jobs along the way. We are eager to see Canada become a full partner in protecting these products on the way to market,” he added.
