US hammers China over piracy
p2p news / p2pnet: If you’ve ever doubted that the entertainment and software industries run Corporate America, the US has, “invoked rarely used WTO authority to force China for the first time to detail steps it has taken to crack down on piracy, including descriptions of cases it has pursued as well as the penalties imposed on infringers,” says a Wall Street Journal briefing.
“Trade Representative Rob Portman said he wanted ‘to put the Chinese on notice that we are serious’.
“The move, which was supported by similar actions by Japan and Switzerland, reflects sharply rising concern within the Bush administration that Beijing has yet to seriously confront complaints of corporate piracy. U.S. officials long have pressured China to strengthen enforcement of property rights, amid estimates that American companies lose billions of dollars a year from the rampant copying of items such as movies, software and automotive parts.”
Communist China “didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment, but Chinese officials routinely assure the U.S. that they have investigated thousands of cases of patent and copyright infringement” and, “Last month, Chinese President Hu Jintao gave President Bush public assurances that China would aggressively strengthen antipiracy efforts, and the issue is expected to come up this month when Mr. Bush visits Beijing,” says the WSJ.
The BSA (Business Software Alliance), RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) and MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) regularly use their respective mouthpersons, messrs Holleyman, Bainwol and Glickman, respectively, to criticise or praise efforts not only by China, but other nations of the world, depending on whether or not they’re acting according to US corporate dictates in a satisfactory manner.
Something you think we should know? tips[at]p2pnet.net
See:-
Wall Street Journal – The Wall Street Journal Briefing: China Manufacturing, VOL. 1 ISSUE. 21
================
If you’re Chinese and you’re looking for a way to access independent Internet news sources, try Freegate, the DIT program written to help Chinese citizens circumvent website blocking outside of China.
Download it here and feel free to copy the zip and host it yourself so others can download it.
November 7th, 2005 at 6:45 pm
Slavery, use to be very legal for the wealthy setlers of the America’s. So was the taking of land through unreadable (for the natives) contracts and plain force and killings. That was because the slaves and the natives were not the rich settlers and could not read the contracts they signed.
Slavery is making a comeback!!! This time the Chinese are the victims. The rich are at it again.
The Chinese have a tradition of several thousands of years. If the western style copyright laws did not exist in China until the Chinese were blackmailed into the WTO trap so they could trade with the U.S. it is probably because the Chineses are more wise than the U.S.
After all it is 4,000 years vs 200 years.
Rafael Venegas
http://www.gvenegas.com
November 7th, 2005 at 6:46 pm
Automotive parts ?
How did this get into the picture ?
Will washing machine parts be next ?
It’s called an “aftermarket” and we need competition to keep monopolies in check.
November 7th, 2005 at 7:07 pm
China, the P.S.A. and many other nations of the WTO are not Communist nor Capitalist. They may hang this or that label on themselve, but these labels do not apply. Fascism is a better term.
The day is coming when everything with the exception of information will be dominated by mammoth multinational monopolies. If we use the information correctly, we can defeat the monopolies, however that will not happen because most people are satisfied with the status quo.
November 7th, 2005 at 10:29 pm
Nice article Rafael Venegas — I always enjoy your INSIGHT! Good work!
Anyways, playing the same “game” the Chinese have striked back against copyright infringement (hate that poorly ‘coined’ term) at US infringement of Chinese works.
>>> Damn, can’t find the article when I need it!!!
November 8th, 2005 at 12:28 am
This looks to me to be a case of the 4 year old snotty stupid little kid poking at the sleeping tiger.
If China decides to hammer back, how big will THEIR hammer be?