Washington - The International Intellectual Property Alliance (IIPA), which represents U.S. software, music, movie and video game firms, has asked the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to add Canada to the U.S. "priority watch list" of countries considered havens for piracy, which includes China, Russia and Venezuela.

The U.S. put Canada on a lower-priority list three years ago.

"Canada's long tenure on the USTR watch list seems to have had no discernible effect on its copyright policy," the IIPA said, adding concerns over the camcording of films in Canadian theaters, and the export of video game mod chips.

The IIPA said that Canada must update its copyright laws and increase enforcement.

"The government of Canada is working actively on the copyright file and will take the time necessary to ensure that revisions to this important framework legislation have been fully thought through," Industry Canada spokesman David Dummer told the Globe and Mail.

Related Links:

http://tinyurl.com/28lryd (Globe and Mail)

http://tinyurl.com/yt5gxl (IIPA statement)

http://www.ic.gc.ca (Industry Canada)

http://www.ustr.gov (U.S. Trade Representative)