For Immediate Release

April 26, 2005

Contact: Judith Platt
Ph: 202-220-4551
Email: jplatt@publishers.org

Publishers Applaud Senate Resolution on Safeguarding Intellectual Property Worldwide

The U.S. publishing industry enthusiastically welcomed today's  introduction in the Senate of a bipartisan Concurrent Resolution stressing the importance of protecting intellectual property rights around the world. The Association of American Publishers (AAP) expressed special thanks to Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN), Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, and Senator Max Baucus (D-MT), Ranking Member of the Finance Committee, who joined in sponsoring the resolution to mark the observance of World Intellectual Property Day.

Noting that the theft of intellectual property hurts the U.S. economy and costs American jobs, and citing deep concern over the failure of many U.S. trading partners to fulfill obligations to protect intellectual property, the resolution is particularly critical of China and Russia, where piracy threatens the very existence of legitimate markets for copyright products. The resolution calls on the Administration to use "all available tools provided by Congress," and the leverage provided by bi-lateral and multi-lateral trade agreements (including, where appropriate, WTO commitments) as well as terms regulating benefits such as the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program, to protect the intellectual property rights of American businesses.

AAP President and CEO Pat Schroeder congratulated Senators Lugar and Baucus for focusing attention on the serious matter of international piracy. "Chinese pirates are decimating markets for legitimate commercial bestsellers, academic and professional works and English language learning materials. Russia leads its region in consumption of pirated books in both English and translation, and the impact on American publishers will only deepen as demand for English language materials grows in the region. Piracy cost American publishers an estimated $50 million last year in China, and $42 million in Russia, and the situation is worsening with the growth of the Internet as a distribution channel for pirated works," Mrs. Schroeder said. "In marking World Intellectual Property Day, this strong statement of Congress'  commitment to protect American creativity is very welcome."

The Association of American Publishers is the national trade association of the U.S. book publishing industry. AAP'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.

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