WASHINGTON – April 28, 2017 – BSA | The Software Alliance welcomes the 2017 Special 301 Report released by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) today. We thank USTR for their efforts to highlight and plans to work with trading partners on various issues that need to be addressed to ensure IP owners have fair and equitable market access to foreign markets. Many of these issues, including data and server localization policies, mandates to disclose source code, and high level of unlicensed software use, were highlighted by BSA in its 2017 Special 301 Comments submitted to USTR earlier this year.

“Eliminating market access barriers and promoting effective intellectual property protection is critical to allow BSA members and other US companies to continue innovating, creating jobs, and fueling the US economy,” said Victoria Espinel, President & CEO of BSA | The Software Alliance. “We urge USTR to leverage the Special 301 and all other available tools to achieve these goals, which is consistent with the Administration’s recently released 2017 Trade Policy Agenda.”