The Computer & Communications Industry Association, Internet Association and other industry groups again focused on concerns about EU member states’ adoption of ancillary copyright laws and some countries’ failure to comply with international norms on intermediary liability protections, during testimony Wednesday on the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative’s 2017 Special 301 proceeding. It's aimed at identifying countries and issues that threaten enforcement of U.S. entities’ IP rights. Ancillary copyright laws, seen as a tax on use of news snippets, and less robust intermediary protections that could be barriers to U.S. platforms were issues industry groups repeatedly raised to USTR last month in comments (see 1702100044).

The U.S. is bound to its own trade laws over the dictates of international bodies like the World Trade Organization, and could choose to disregard instructions of oppositional WTO dispute panel rulings that impinge U.S. sovereignty, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative indicated in its annual report to Congress (here), sent March 1. The Financial Times obtained and posted the report online. “Ever since the United States won its independence, it has been a basic principle of our country that American citizens are subject only to laws and regulations made by U.S. government -- not rulings made by foreign governments or international bodies," the USTR said. "This principle remains true today. Accordingly, the Trump Administration will aggressively defend American sovereignty over matters of trade policy.” The report states elsewhere that U.S. sovereignty considerations will play a central role in trade policy development.

Although the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) sits dormant, U.S. industry should reignite efforts to convince the public that concluding the deal would pay dividends for both parties, Rock Creek Global Advisors Managing Director Michael Smart said during a Feb. 24 panel. “For all the discussion, one thing has not happened,” Smart said. “The administration certainly had in its ability to say, ‘We are calling off TTIP negotiations, or ending them.’ It hasn’t done that.” Panel participants agreed there is still at least a glimmer of hope for conclusion of the deal, but Smart said that U.S. industry must first find a rhythm in its advocacy for trade and other issues with the new Trump administration. While certain political liabilities come with taking a stance on hot-button issues, trade associations can help shield businesses from unwanted exposure, and industry has somewhat skirted the national trade debate in favor of pushing regulatory and tax reform, Smart said.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has extended from Feb. 22 to March 8 the deadline to submit post-hearing comments on whether it should reinstate tariffs on a number of imports from the EU in response to alleged discrimination against U.S. beef exports, USTR said (here). Members of the U.S. beef industry during a Feb. 15 hearing pleaded with the interagency Section 301 Committee to follow through with the December-proposed retaliatory tariffs in response to the alleged EU discrimination, but representatives of the motorcycle, rayon fiber and confectionery industries cautioned against the move (see 1702150046).

Members of the U.S. beef industry pleaded to the interagency Section 301 Committee on Feb. 15 to assess proposed retaliatory tariffs in response to its allegations of EU discrimination against U.S. beef exports, while representatives of the motorcycle, rayon fiber, and confectionery industries cautioned against the move. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative in December issued a list of 85 headings and subheadings from the EU that the U.S. is considering for retaliatory tariffs, including food and a smattering of other products (see 1612270025).

China remains the “country of greatest concern over the past year, and it remains the single-largest manufacturer and exporter of counterfeit goods” globally, the International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition (IACC) told Office of the U.S. Trade Representative in comments (here). Despite some recent reform on intellectual property rights enforcement, the National Association of Manufacturers (here) and the National Foreign Trade Council (here) also singled out China over continued issues. The comments were submitted as part of the USTR's annual Special 301 review on the global status of IP rights enforcement (here). China is the top source of counterfeit goods seized by CBP (see 1701170021).

The Internet Association and other industry groups cited a range of “cross-cutting issues” they believe would weaken U.S. entities’ IP rights internationally, in filings Thursday to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. IA included EU member states’ adoption of “ancillary copyright laws” seen as a tax on use of snippets. Tech sector groups noted concerns about ancillary copyright laws during USTR's 2016 Special 301 proceeding (see 1603010060). Such laws also have factored into U.S. stakeholders' opposition to a European Commission copyright law revamp proposal (see 1608290062). USTR collected comments through midnight Thursday on its annual Special 301 review on the global status of IP rights enforcement.

The Internet Association and other industry groups cited a range of “cross-cutting issues” they believe would weaken U.S. entities’ IP rights internationally, in filings Thursday to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. IA included EU member states’ adoption of “ancillary copyright laws” seen as a tax on use of snippets. Tech sector groups noted concerns about ancillary copyright laws during USTR's 2016 Special 301 proceeding (see 1603010060). Such laws also have factored into U.S. stakeholders' opposition to a European Commission copyright law revamp proposal (see 1608290062). USTR collected comments through midnight Thursday on its annual Special 301 review on the global status of IP rights enforcement.

The Internet Association and other industry groups cited a range of “cross-cutting issues” they believe would weaken U.S. entities’ IP rights internationally, in filings Thursday to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. IA included EU member states’ adoption of “ancillary copyright laws” seen as a tax on use of snippets. Tech sector groups noted concerns about ancillary copyright laws during USTR's 2016 Special 301 proceeding (see 1603010060). Such laws also have factored into U.S. stakeholders' opposition to a European Commission copyright law revamp proposal (see 1608290062). USTR collected comments through midnight Thursday on its annual Special 301 review on the global status of IP rights enforcement.

The International Intellectual Property Alliance was one of several industry groups that indicated Thursday it would submit comments to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative pushing for China, India and Russia to remain on the office's mid-tier Special 301 priority watch list for copyright and other IP rights violations. USTR was to collect comments through midnight Thursday on its annual Special 301 review on the global status of IP rights enforcement. China, India and Russia have long occupied USTR's priority watch list, which included eight other countries when USTR released its 2016 report (see 1604270049).