Photo Credit: Ana Lanza
Biden Administration releases the annual list of the largest content piracy hubs affecting the US — RIAA responds.
The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) has released its annual Notorious Markets Report, highlighting the importance of enforcing copyright in the continuously worrying trends in online piracy. This yearly report lists the largest content piracy hubs online, as identified by RIAA and other creative organizations.
The report clarifies that the US government stands with American creative professionals against those that would rob them of their works, livelihoods, and cultural and economic contributions.
“This year’s Notorious Markets Report shines a much-needed spotlight on the devastating impact of copyright theft on American creators,” says RIAA Chairman and CEO Mitch Glazier. “The core message of today’s report is clear: when creative content is stolen, it not only harms the economy and businesses, it hurts real people. Copyright enforcement is necessary to protect livelihoods.”
“We thank Ambassador Tai, her team at USTR, and the interagency officials for their work to guard America’s intellectual property. We look forward to continuing our work together to foster a global environment where American creativity can thrive,” Glazier adds.
“The widespread trade in counterfeit and pirated goods harms the economic security of American workers and undermines our work to craft equitable and inclusive trade policy,” says Ambassador Katherine Tai, 19th United States Trade Representative. “The Notorious Markets List is an important tool that urges the private sector and our trading partners to take action against these harmful practices.”
Reflecting the Biden-Harris Administration’s worker-centered trade policy, the 2022 Notorious Markets List’s “issue focus” section examines the impact of online piracy on US workers. This section describes ways in which online piracy can impact wages, residuals, pensions, and health care benefits of workers in the creative industries and how combatting online piracy requires coordination between relevant parties to effectively address the rapidly-shifting methods of infringing content.
The 2022 Notorious Markets List identifies 39 online and 33 physical markets that reportedly engage in or enable significant trademark counterfeiting or copyright piracy. Notably, this includes continuing to identify WeChat as one of the largest platforms facilitating counterfeit goods in China. Other online marketplaces listed in China include Aliexpress, Baidu Wangpan, DHGate, Pinduoduo, and Taobao, in addition to seven physical markets in China that use brick-and-mortar storefronts to hide the online sale of counterfeits.
Since 2011, USTR has published the annual Notorious Markets List separately from the Special 301 Report, where USTR first identified notorious markets in 2006. Their separation increases public awareness and helps market operators and governments prioritize intellectual property enforcement efforts to protect American businesses and workers.