For Immediate Release
Contact: Judith Platt (202) 220-4551
Jasmine Zick (202) 220-4550
Publishers Welcome Chinese Commitments to Strengthen IPR Protection for Academic and Medical Journals
Washington, DC, November 4, 2009 — Tom Allen, President and CEO of the Association of American Publishers, issued the following statement regarding commitments made by China at last week’s U.S.-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade (JCCT) Meeting:
“We are very pleased with the Chinese government’s issuance of a public notice conveying to state-run libraries the importance of strengthening protection for copyright-protected academic and medical journals. Ending intellectual property violations affecting books and journals in China continues to be among the highest priorities for AAP and its members, and we see the commitments made in the JCCT as positive steps in that direction. We are grateful to USTR Kirk and Secretary Locke, and their teams, for their hard work and considerable effort on behalf of the book publishing industry.”
The Notice appears to call for the relevant departments of the Chinese government to begin inspections of libraries, to determine whether unauthorized duplication, communication or electronic dissemination of copyrighted works is occurring. If a library is found to be engaged in unauthorized activity, copyright administrative departments should deal with violators in accordance with Chinese law. Libraries are admonished to adhere to all copyright laws and regulations, to seek permission from the copyright owner for the appropriate use or dissemination of the copyright protected work.
Mr. Allen noted that AAP will continue to work and strengthen relationships with the Chinese government and with the Chinese publishing industry, to ensure that progress continues and that these commitments are translated into concrete actions. Among other JCCT commitments, China also gave assurances that it will impose maximum administrative penalties on Internet infringers, and that it has begun a four-month campaign to clamp down on Internet piracy.
U.S.-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade
The US-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade (JCCT) was established in 1983 as a forum for high-level dialogue on bilateral trade issues and a vehicle for promoting commercial relations. The JCCT is co-chaired for the U.S. by the Secretary of Commerce and the U.S. Trade Representative and for China by a Vice Premier, and enjoys strong interagency support on both sides.
The Association of American Publishers
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.
# # #
