301 regarding textbooks and other educational materials

by Manon Ress

The 301 report is out. 52 pages only. Regarding textbooks and other educational materials:

I quote:

CHINA:
Beijing’s university campuses have also been cited by rights holders as magnets for textbook piracy, and they offer a broadband environment that can support copyright infringement. Beijing authorities state that universities receive no safe harbor from IPR laws. Industry praised authorities for enforcement actions involving a Tsinghua University textbook center, and have called for investigations to be repeated at the beginning of the school term and at other peak copying times.

Fujian authorities said that they planned to conduct special campaigns against textbook infringement to coincide with the beginnings of school terms.

Industry praised a decision by Guangdong authorities to time inspections of university textbook centers to coincide with the beginning of school terms. However, rights holders remain concerned by the lack of transparency in the process of inspection and punishment decisions.

In both Suzhou and Nanjing, the Copyright Bureaus reported continued coordination with local universities following Ministry of Education circulars to eradicate textbook piracy on campuses. Suzhou and Nanjing officials have also coordinated with universities to train students on IPR awareness.

PHILIPPINES
The Philippines will remain on the Watch List in 2007. SNIP While recognizing these continued IPR enforcement actions, the United States urges the Philippines to continue strengthening its enforcement regime against piracy and counterfeiting. Specifically, the United States encourages the Philippines to increase the numbers of arrests, prosecutions, and convictions of pirates arising out of the optical disc plant inspections; ensure that courts impose deterrent sentences against criminal IPR infringers (i.e.significant fines or prison sentences that are actually served); destroy pirated and counterfeit goods and the equipment used to make them; take steps to combat the problem of illegal textbook copying;

TAIWAN
SNIP
Taiwan will remain on the Watch List in 2007. SNIP The United States also asks that Taiwan take steps to improve IPR enforcement, including: dedicate more resources (including training and additional personnel) to improve enforcement against piracy on the Internet, especially on TANet, the Internet Service Provider administered by Taiwan’s Ministry of Education; take enforcement actions against the unauthorized use of copyrighted material on or near universities; and consider stronger criminal penalties for IPR infringement.

And Thailand, Turkey for books and journals.....

I hope these countries do not overreact, or even react. All the activities improving access to educational materials described here can be seen on every campus in the US...