Staff Briefing Note to Trade Minister Refutes US Copyright Concerns

A staff briefing note to the trade minister has dismissed a U.S. report that put Canada on a “watch list” for not protecting copyrights enough, calling the action a “political tool.” The 2024 “Special 301 Report,” released in April by the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), looks at how well other countries protect and enforce intellectual property (IP) rights. It divides over 100 trade partners into three categories: “Priority Watch List,” “Watch List,” and “Priority Foreign Country,” based on how serious their IP protection issues are. “Canada remains on the Watch List in 2024,” says the report, highlighting ongoing concerns about Canada’s enforcement of IP rights, especially at the border and in combating online piracy....