Dorgan Welcomes WTO Action On China Copyright Violations, Says It Is Long OVerdue

Press Release

DORGAN WELCOMES WTO ACTION ON CHINA COPYRIGHT VIOLATIONS, SAYS IT IS LONG OVERDUE

U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND) said Wednesday the decision by the U.S. Trade Representative to file two cases at the World Trade Organization (WTO) for copyright and trade mark violations on a wide range of products by China is "welcome, but long overdue."

"I introduced legislation (S. Res. 142) in May of 2005 calling for a WTO case against China for piracy," Dorgan said. "Back then, I noted that Chinese violations of U.S. intellectual property rights were costing $200 billion a year."

"The two and a half year delay between then and now means U.S. producers lost an additional $300 billion while the U.S. Trade Representative dithered and took no action," he said.

"I welcome this filing - at long last - but the fundamental question is why did it take so long for the U.S. Trade Representative to act? What we have here are really two problems: China's theft of U.S. intellectual property, and the failure of the U.S. Trade Representative to act in a timely manner to stop that theft."

Source