RIAA APPLAUDS U.S./U.K. TRADE PROGRESS 

As the U.K. heads toward the end of its Brexit transition period on 12/31, the RIAA has welcomed the end of the first round of trade agreement negotiations. "Supporting an agreement that provides world-leading copyright protections between these two major markets is a top priority," said the RIAA's Mitch Glazier.

On 5/7, the U.S. and U.K. launched the trade agreement negotiations, the first round of which concluded on Friday. Glazier said the current unprecedented times result in "a one-of-a-kind opportunity to set a new paradigm for trade agreements, including for the protection and enforcement of copyright."

"The copyright-intensive sector powers the competitive advantage of both economies—leading by virtually every metric, whether economic input, job creation, salary, trade surplus, or cultural influence. We are united in our resolve that strong copyright protection for creative industries should be a top priority for the United States and the United Kingdom in their trade agreement negotiations.”

Going forward, Glazier said the RIAA "looks forward to working closely with the Administration throughout the negotiations to ensure high standards of copyright protection and enforcement, including to work to find creative solutions for meaningful stakeholder engagement."

The U.K. officially left the European Union on 1/31, at which point The Queen rallied up her horses to lead a celebratory pub crawl through Soho.