FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Katie Barrows
Communications Director
P: 202-549-5991
kbarrows@dpeaflcio.org

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6, 2024 - The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) released its 2023 Review of Notorious Markets for Counterfeiting and Piracy report, which calls out online and physical markets where substantial piracy or counterfeiting occurs in an effort to motivate private sector organizations and governments to reduce content theft. Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO (DPE) President Jennifer Dorning released the following statement on the report:

“I applaud Ambassador Tai, USTR staff, and interagency partners for again highlighting the scourge of content theft through the 2023 Notorious Markets for Counterfeiting and Piracy report. Union professionals who are members of DPE’s affiliated unions in the arts, entertainment, and media industries depend on legitimate sales and licensing of the films, TV shows, music, and other works they help create for their collectively bargained pay and contributions to their health insurance and pension plans. The theft of this content harms every day creative professionals and the American economy as a whole by leading to annual losses in jobs and revenue in the creative industries. 

DPE continues to push for strong copyright protections and enforcement to address these issues, especially with the emergence of generative AI. Absent safeguards and appropriate transparency, AI will be used as a sophisticated, deceptive tool for content theft and the unauthorized digital replication of individual’s voices and likenesses. Monitoring the misuse of AI for these illicit purposes in future Notorious Markets List will be important.

DPE appreciates USTR’s and the Biden-Harris Administration’s continued commitment to a trade policy that prioritizes the needs of working people.”

About DPE

The Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO (DPE) is a coalition of 24 unions representing over four million professional and technical union members. DPE affiliate unions represent professionals in over 300 occupations in education and healthcare; science, engineering, and technology; legal, business, and management; media, entertainment, and the arts; and public administration.