WASHINGTON – January 28, 2021 – In today’s annual Special 301 filing, BSA | The Software Alliance urged the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) to advocate for intellectual property (IP) protection and market access abroad for US persons who rely on IP.

“The US software industry supports $83 billion in annual US R&D and 14.4 million American jobs – IP-intensive jobs that pay more than double the national average. And US software publishers rely heavily on IP rights, including patents, copyrights, trademarks and trade secrets, at home and abroad,” said Joseph Whitlock, Director, Policy at BSA | The Software Alliance. “Innovation and IP-limiting digital trade barriers have a direct impact on the ability of the US software industry to acquire, enforce, and enjoy the benefits of, IP rights. BSA urges the US government to highlight the risks to American jobs and innovation presented by discriminatory or unnecessary data localization policies or other barriers to innovation.”

BSA’s submission identifies policies of concern in Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, and the European Union. To read BSA’s full Special 301 filing, click here.