For Immediate Release

Contact: Deidre Huntington

Ph: 202-220-4550

Book Publishers Commend Congressional Anti-Piracy Caucus Report on 2008 Priority Watch List     

Washington, DC May 15, 2008:   The Association of American Publishers (AAP) joined other copyright industry groups and the Congressional International Anti-Piracy Caucus at a press conference today to announce the countries at the top of the Caucus’ 2008 Priority Watch List.  The Caucus, chaired by Senators Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (D-DE) and Gordon H. Smith (R-OR) and Representatives Adam B. Schiff (D-CA) and Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) highlighted piracy problems in China, Russia, and Canada for 2008. The Caucus applauded the actions brought against China in the World Trade Organization, recognizing the need for further efforts to significantly curb piracy. The Caucus also highlighted developments in Spain, Greece, Mexico, Lebanon, Malaysia, and Turkey. 

Global piracy cost AAP member companies more than $500 million in 2007 as a result of commercial scale photocopying, illegal print runs, unauthorized translations and CD-R burning of text.  Book and journal publishers doing business in the Chinese and Russian markets face massive Internet piracy that affects commercial bestsellers, academic books, and journals.  In addition, piracy of trade books--in English or translation--undercuts the ability of legitimate companies to do business in both countries. U.S. publishers are similarly undermined by Canada’s failure to strengthen its laws to enforce against Internet theft.

Malaysia’s increased attention to enforcement against illegal commercial scale photocopying in and around universities is commendable, but more remains to be done.  In particular, Malaysia’s government needs to encourage the country’s university community to actively cooperate in curbing theft of academic materials.  Similarly, Mexico struggles with the problem of massive photocopying, while Lebanon and Turkey have substantial print piracy problems in addition to the illegal copying in academia.  These governments have taken some positive steps, but AAP hopes that the attention focused on these markets by the Caucus report will prompt further action in areas affecting book and journal publishers.   

AAP welcomes the Caucus’ efforts to protect this country’s important intellectual property assets, and looks forward to working with both the U.S. and foreign governments in protecting global markets for the creative industries.

The Association of American Publishers is the national trade association of the U.S. book publishing industry. AAP’s more than 300 members include most of the major commercial publishers in the United States, as well as smaller and non-profit publishers, university presses and scholarly societies—small and large. AAP members publish hardcover and paperback books in every field, educational materials for the elementary, secondary, postsecondary, and professional markets, scholarly journals, computer software, and electronic products and services.  The protection of intellectual property rights in all media, the defense of the freedom to read and the freedom to publish at home and abroad, and the promotion of reading and literacy are among the Association’s highest priorities.

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