p2pnet.net News:- If Israel doesn’t take steps to enact a new copyright law, Hollywood will, "call upon the U.S. government to designate Israel as a PFC [Priority Foreign Country], and to withdraw economic benefits currently granted," it warns in a report to the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR).

Israel has, "become a software piracy haven and is rapidly expanding exports of pirated software," says the US Embassy, Israel, site here, going on that the country is now on the Priority Watch List because of its "repeated failure to make good on promised legislative reforms and the absence of serious attempts by Israel to rein in piracy of intellectual property."

Reasons for the decision, says the embassy site, were because:

• Israel’s copyright law is inadequate and antiquated, enforcement and penalties are ineffective, and there is a rapidly growing problem of piracy in audio CD, cassette, video, and software production.
• Much of the 50-60 million unit capacity of Israel’s five CD plants is believed to be employed in unauthorized duplication of CDs for export.
• Israel has become a software piracy haven and is rapidly expanding exports of pirated software.
• A new draft copyright law intended to meet international standards has been pending for several years, but not passed. In February 1998, the Israeli Knesset amended the patent law to allow non-patent holders to manufacture and export patented pharmaceutical products prior to the expiration of the patent to seek foreign and Israeli marketing approval when the patent expires. The law also contains a provision allowing a relatively short term of patent extension. Now pending are draft regulations that would allow parallel importation of pharmaceuticals.

In a statement on the USTR document, the RIAA, "greatly appreciates" the US Administration’s efforts in trying to solve copyright protection in problems in 56 countries, says Neil Turkewitz, executive vp, international.

But now, together with the MPAA and AFMA, business software (BSA), entertainment software (ESA), and book publishing (AAP) – all members of the IIPA (International Intellectual Property Alliance)- the RIAA has filed a report with USTR that, "reflects our heightened concern about the growth of illegal CD-R replication, organized crime’s involvement in the manufacture and international distribution of pirate CDs and other media, and internet piracy," says Turkewitz.

The report also suggests the imposition – "where necessary" – of "economic sanctions or the withdrawal of trade benefits where countries fail to take reasonable steps to afford adequate and effective pr

As well as Israel, other countries that may have to be singled out for special attention, says Hollywood, are China, Pakistan, Russia, Brazil and Taiwan.

Highlights include recommendations to:

• Designate Pakistan as a Priority Foreign Country (PFC). "Production and export of pirated production is skyrocketing in Pakistan. Exports of pirated Pakistani product have been found in at least 46 other countries. Firm action, including the possible imposition of trade sanctions, is now warranted."
• Maintain Ukraine’s designation as a PFC. "Ukraine was designated as a PFC in 2001 when USTR withdrew Ukraine’s GSP benefits, and imposed $75 million in economic sanctions. Ukraine has taken some steps to address the problem of pirate CD production and export, but these have failed to adequately resolve the situation. Until Ukraine has satisfactorily addressed this problem, we will continue to press the Administration to keep the sanctions in place."
• Elevate Bulgaria, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Israel, Kuwait and Thailand, "to the Priority Watch List (PWL), and maintain a number of other countries on this list, including Argentina, Brazil, India, Indonesia, Lebanon, Philippines, Poland, Russia and Taiwan."
• Brazil, "continues to be one of the largest pirate marketplaces in the world, and has not responded to a piracy situation that is threatening the very existence of the record industry in that country."
• Israel is, "presently considering a draft copyright law that would discriminate against U.S. performers and record companies in violation of its bilateral obligations with the U.S. If enacted, we will call upon the U.S. government to designate Israel as a PFC, and to withdraw economic benefits currently granted to Israel."
• Indonesia, Philippines, Russia, Taiwan and Thailand, "are home to large scale enterprises involved in the manufacture and global distribution of pirate CDs-with the situation in Russia being particularly dire and the government thus far lethargic in their response to this growing threat. We call upon each of these countries, as well as Bulgaria where optical disc manufacturing capacity has again grown far beyond legitimate demand, to adopt, or in some cases fully implement, legal and enforcement controls over the operations of these plants. Piracy, once significantly reduced in Bulgaria, has returned in force."
• The markets in Colombia, Dominican Republic, Kuwait and Lebanon, "are completely dominated by piracy, and we urge these governments to take immediate steps to bring order to the marketplace by taking aggressive and sustained actions against pirates.
• China and Paraguay’s compliance with intellectual property (IPR) agreements reached with the United States should continue to be monitored. "China’s market continues to be dominated by piracy. Paraguay has taken certain actions, but it continues to be a hotbed of piracy and a source of infringing materials for Brazil and its other Mercosur partners. China and Paraguay must improve their performance to achieve compliance with their bilateral obligations."
  

  This entry was posted on Monday, February 16th, 2004 at 6:24 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

  HOME
  

  Viewed 2825 times

  « previous Music and Winona Ryder

  Canada file swap case delayed next »