The Textbook & Academic Authors Association (TAA) was one of 19 groups to sign on to a letter from the Copyright Alliance to US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer asking him to “modernize the copyright provisions of the NAFTA agreement for the digital age and to establish a template for future agreements.” Meetings to renegotiate the NAFTA agreement began August 16, 2017.

“The internet’s global reach has made copyright protections and enforcement increasingly important to free trade agreements,” states the letter. “The small and medium businesses [and individual creators] we represent are often on the forefront of exploring new models for making creative works available on a global scale. Widespread copyright infringement and unduly broad limitations to copyright protection divert overseas markets and undermine the ability of our members to successfully and fairly engage in commerce.”

The letter goes on to outline four priorities the Alliance asks Lighthizer to pursue in negotiating for better protections for individual creators and small businesses:

1. Strong and meaningful copyright protection and enforcement
2. Effective enforcement provisions
3. Appropriate limitations and exceptions
4. Incentives for service providers to cooperate with copyright owners in addressing online infringement

Read the full text of the letter.