Italy, Switzerland added to congressional anti-piracy watch list

The Congressional International Anti-Piracy Caucus named China, Russia, Italy, Switzerland and Ukraine to its annual watch list of countries that need to step up their enforcement of intellectual property rights. This is the first year Italy and Switzerland have appeared on the list. The Anti-Piracy Caucus said both countries lack adequate laws that crack down on online piracy and protect copyrighted movies, music and other content from being offered on illegitimate websites. The Anti-Piracy Caucus releases the watch list each year to put a spotlight on countries it believes are failing to protect copyrighted material and clamp down on websites that offer pirated content. In its report, the caucus also makes recommendations on how each country can improve its copyright enforcement efforts and eventually be removed from the list.