IIPA Recommended Indonesia to Stay on Priority Watch List

On 30^th January 2023, the International Intellectual Property Alliance (IIPA) has submitted recommendations to the United State Trade Representative (USTR) on countries that should stays on the Priority Watch List (PWL), one of which is Indonesia. IIPA recommended to the USTR that Indonesia's position on the Priority Watch List need to be maintained for reasons related to copyright issues including inadequate enforcement of it's Copyright Law and inhibition of licensing and dissemination of copyrighted information in Indonesia.

The request was also to suspend or withdraw the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) benefits for Indonesia in whole or in parts if the Indonesian Government has not adequately and progressively remedied the deficiencies related to copyright. This recommendations was made in response to USTR's request to notes, comments and assessments of copyright developments in regard to it's enforcement, protection and legal system in Indonesia.

The IIPA's opinion is of significant value, given its roles in the US copyright industry. IIPA makes notes and recommendations to USTR for Indonesia and more than 100 other international trading partners of the United States. From the evaluation results, IIPA will recommended which countries should be on the Priority or common Watch List.

The continued inclusion of Indonesia in the PWL indicates that the problem of infringement of intellectual works such as copyrights, patents, trademarks and industrial designs in Indonesia is still considered to be serious by the United States. The negative impact of the PWL status is that it gives the impression to potential investors that in Indonesia there is still rampant piracy of copyrighted works, inadequacy in providing legal protection of intellectual works, etc.

Usually in April every year the United States will announce the countries on the USTR watch list with regard to copyright, patent and trademark issues, in which is Indonesia turns out to be one of these countries, then Indonesia must work harder to protect its intellectual property rights (JP/BDP-su).