The US Trade Representative published its annual report on notorious piracy markets, and the report continues a shift toward greater emphasis on online piracy websites. The 2014 list reflects nominations of sites that engage in copyright piracy and trademark counterfeiting as well as registrars that facilitate the distribution of pirated and counterfeit products, including medicines.
In earlier years, the report focused entirely on physical markets, but now, USTR noted, “The Internet has brought about a global revolution in the authorized and unauthorized distribution of films, music, software, video games, and books. In many markets, unauthorized online distribution of, or access to, copyright-protected content largely has replaced unauthorized distribution via physical media.” So the report focuses on both virtual and physical marketplaces. Interestingly, USTR observed that this year it “received fewer nominations for physical markets than in the past.”
Asia comes in for discussion in several places. Physical markets in Thailand, India and Indonesia are listed, along with websites in China and Vietnam. The biggest attention is focused, not surprisingly, on China: “several of the nominations identified China as the primary source of counterfeit products. Worldwide, from the Americas, to Africa, to Eastern Europe, and in Southeast Asia, Chinese-origin counterfeit goods find their way into markets, businesses, and homes.”
The entire report can be read here.