Special 301 Comments on Video Game Piracy in Asia and Latin America

Item — Location: Reports

Identifier: REPORTS-002

Staff Only

Special 301 Comments on Video Game Piracy in Asia and Latin America

Abstract

In the United States, Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 entitles the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to investigate unfair foreign trade practices. Every year since 1989, the USTR has solicited comments about the impact of practices such as overseas counterfeiting on American businesses, which inform the agency's annual "Special 301" report.

In 1994, the law firm Arter & Hadden submitted comments for the annual Special 301 report on behalf of Nintendo of America, a large number of Nintendo software licensees, and several IP holders who licensed their properties to appear in games published on Nintendo platforms. Their comments include substantial evidence regarding video game piracy originating in East Asia and Latin America, along with its economic impact on American video game publishers and manufacturers.

Dates

Issued: February 17, 1994

Creator

Arter & Hadden (Issuing body, Organization)

Conditions Governing Access

This report is part of the public record of the Office of the United States Trade Representative. It is likely fair use for the Video Game History Foundation to redistribute and provide access to the report for educational and research purposes.

Although this report remains the property of the law firm Arter & Hadden (which submitted the report to the USTR), more recent Special 301 comments have regularly been made publicly available, and the U.S. Department of Justice believes that it is likely fair use to distribute copyrighted material in government agency records that does not infringe trade secrecy.

Conditions Governing Use

This report is part of the public record of the Office of the United States Trade Representative. It is likely fair use to redistribute and reproduce this report for educational and research purposes.

Although this report remains the property of the law firm Arter & Hadden (which submitted the report to the USTR), more recent Special 301 comments have regularly been made publicly available, and the U.S. Department of Justice believes that it is likely fair use to distribute copyrighted material in goverment agency records that does not infringe trade secrecy.