Act Now : Tell the US Trade Rep: You Don't Work for Big Content

Most recent activity: Special 301

Many thanks to everyone who signed this petition! We filed this petition with the USTR on March 1, 2012. 


Every year, the US Trade Representative (USTR) puts together a "Special 301 Report"—a naughty list of countries that don't do enough to enforce American copyrights, trademarks, and patents. And every year, big content drops several textbooks worth of comments saying which countries should be listed and why. 

More often than not, the USTR appears to take big content's comments at face value, ignoring the views expressed by PK and our allies

The resulting list is used to pressure foreign countries to adopt stricter laws and more draconian enforcement mechanisms, often with little consideration for free speech or the effect on due process. The recent outrage over SOPA/PIPA demonstrates that overreach is unacceptable.

Sign below to tell the USTR to stop doing big content's bidding and to stop pressuring foreign countries to adopt harmful policy.


US Trade Representative Ron Kirk, 

The Special 301 Report has turned into an exercise that arm-twists countries into instituting laws and policies that serve the interests of big content, even where these policies hurt the free expression and due process rights of citizens. 

A blind reliance on rights holder assertions about the presence, nature, and extent of copyright, patent, and trademark infringements, makes this process even more oblivious to the public interest.

We, the undersigned, petition the USTR to put industry special interest claims under closer scrutiny. We also urge the USTR to stop designing unbalanced laws in foreign countries at the behest of big content.

Signed,

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Many thanks to everyone who signed this petition! We filed this petition with the USTR on March 1, 2012. 


Every year, the US Trade Representative (USTR) puts together a "Special 301 Report"—a naughty list of countries that don't do enough to enforce American copyrights, trademarks, and patents. And every year, big content drops several textbooks worth of comments saying which countries should be listed and why. 

More often than not, the USTR appears to take big content's comments at face value, ignoring the views expressed by PK and our allies

The resulting list is used to pressure foreign countries to adopt stricter laws and more draconian enforcement mechanisms, often with little consideration for free speech or the effect on due process. The recent outrage over SOPA/PIPA demonstrates that overreach is unacceptable.

Sign below to tell the USTR to stop doing big content's bidding and to stop pressuring foreign countries to adopt harmful policy.


US Trade Representative Ron Kirk, 

The Special 301 Report has turned into an exercise that arm-twists countries into instituting laws and policies that serve the interests of big content, even where these policies hurt the free expression and due process rights of citizens. 

A blind reliance on rights holder assertions about the presence, nature, and extent of copyright, patent, and trademark infringements, makes this process even more oblivious to the public interest.

We, the undersigned, petition the USTR to put industry special interest claims under closer scrutiny. We also urge the USTR to stop designing unbalanced laws in foreign countries at the behest of big content.

Signed,

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Thank you for taking action! To Learn more about this issue, check out our blog post here

Public Knowledge is a 501(c)(3) non-profit which relies on donations to operate. Please consider making a donation to support our efforts.

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Many thanks to everyone who signed this petition! We filed this petition with the USTR on March 1, 2012. 


Every year, the US Trade Representative (USTR) puts together a "Special 301 Report"—a naughty list of countries that don't do enough to enforce American copyrights, trademarks, and patents. And every year, big content drops several textbooks worth of comments saying which countries should be listed and why. 

More often than not, the USTR appears to take big content's comments at face value, ignoring the views expressed by PK and our allies

The resulting list is used to pressure foreign countries to adopt stricter laws and more draconian enforcement mechanisms, often with little consideration for free speech or the effect on due process. The recent outrage over SOPA/PIPA demonstrates that overreach is unacceptable.

Sign below to tell the USTR to stop doing big content's bidding and to stop pressuring foreign countries to adopt harmful policy.


US Trade Representative Ron Kirk, 

The Special 301 Report has turned into an exercise that arm-twists countries into instituting laws and policies that serve the interests of big content, even where these policies hurt the free expression and due process rights of citizens. 

A blind reliance on rights holder assertions about the presence, nature, and extent of copyright, patent, and trademark infringements, makes this process even more oblivious to the public interest.

We, the undersigned, petition the USTR to put industry special interest claims under closer scrutiny. We also urge the USTR to stop designing unbalanced laws in foreign countries at the behest of big content.

Signed,

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Many thanks to everyone who signed this petition! We filed this petition with the USTR on March 1, 2012. 


Every year, the US Trade Representative (USTR) puts together a "Special 301 Report"—a naughty list of countries that don't do enough to enforce American copyrights, trademarks, and patents. And every year, big content drops several textbooks worth of comments saying which countries should be listed and why. 

More often than not, the USTR appears to take big content's comments at face value, ignoring the views expressed by PK and our allies

The resulting list is used to pressure foreign countries to adopt stricter laws and more draconian enforcement mechanisms, often with little consideration for free speech or the effect on due process. The recent outrage over SOPA/PIPA demonstrates that overreach is unacceptable.

Sign below to tell the USTR to stop doing big content's bidding and to stop pressuring foreign countries to adopt harmful policy.


US Trade Representative Ron Kirk, 

The Special 301 Report has turned into an exercise that arm-twists countries into instituting laws and policies that serve the interests of big content, even where these policies hurt the free expression and due process rights of citizens. 

A blind reliance on rights holder assertions about the presence, nature, and extent of copyright, patent, and trademark infringements, makes this process even more oblivious to the public interest.

We, the undersigned, petition the USTR to put industry special interest claims under closer scrutiny. We also urge the USTR to stop designing unbalanced laws in foreign countries at the behest of big content.

Signed,

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