Working to Address Online Piracy

By Bufete Mejía & Asociados

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) has expressed concern over the availability of online piracy and broadcast piracy in several of its partners, Honduras among them. In its 2023 Special 301 Report, the USTR noted that Honduras has a high rate of signal piracy and stated that cable providers in Honduras may be offering unlicensed programming.

The Special 301 Report is an annual review of the global state of IP protection and enforcement in more than 100 trading partners, including Honduras. 29 of those countries were categorized as specially problematic by the United States and placed on a Priority Watch List or a Watch List. Although Honduras isn’t included in either list, the USTR mentioned the country under its analysis of global online piracy and broadcast piracy.

The report states that broadband Internet connections around the world, combined with increasingly accessible and sophisticated mobile technology, has been a boon to the U.S. economy and trade, as one key area of economic growth for the United States has been the development of legitimate digital platforms for distribution of copyrighted content, so that consumers around the world can enjoy the latest movies, television, music, books, and other copyrighted content from the United States.

Honduras has currently one of the highest rates of signal piracy in Latin America and the Caribbean. There are also concerns that cable providers in the country offer unlicensed programming, using that pirated content to expand their market share.

The availability of online piracy and broadcast piracy is a challenge to both the Honduran government and the US economy. The Honduran government is responsible for enforcing IP laws, but it faces a number of challenges and is working towards increasing resources and cooperation from the private sector.