The Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (TATT) issued a public advisory on 1 December 2025 notifying the public about a mandate for local cable providers to remove unlicensed cable channels (US free to air news channels – ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX) unless the requisite licensing deals have been secured. The channel removal mandate is slated to be actioned over the course of 2026 with one channel being removed every four months beginning 30 December 2025.

This issue is not new in Trinidad and Tobago where broadcast piracy continues to be a common occurrence, with Trinidad and Tobago having been previously removed from the Watchlist of the 301 Report in 2016. However, the topic is currently subject to increased scrutiny because of the fact that Trinidad and Tobago was placed on the Watchlist of the USA’s Special 301 Report in 2020 for failing to remedy the situation with these free to air news channels. Of particular importance in this regard is the fact that one of the infringing local cable providers is subject to a majority shareholding held by the government of Trinidad and Tobago.

This situation has serious implications for trade relations with the US given the linkage of intellectual property, trade and general international relations. In the current climate of volatile trade relations internationally, the continued listing of Trinidad and Tobago on the Watchlist of the 301 Report may have significant repercussions for the wider Trinidad and Tobago economy, including loss of preferential trade agreements, tariffs and other retaliatory trade sanctions.

As such, TATT’s initiative to ensure IP compliance is a welcomed move that provides a simple fix to a long standing matter of serious concern. The broader message to be gleaned from this situation concerns the strength and importance of IP rights, in this case, copyright law. Broadcasts and the content being broadcasted are protected by copyright law. Even though the affected channels are free to air in the US, they have not been licensed for broadcasting in Trinidad and Tobago. Furthermore, some of the content broadcasted on said channels may require additional licensing. This is a timely reminder that IP rights are territorial and even though content may be freely accessible in one jurisdiction, it does not mean it is freely accessible in other jurisdictions.

Contact Clover® today to discuss IP compliance and assess the IP risks involved in your next commercial deal.

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