Bush Cracks Down On Copyright Pirates
President Threatens Sanctions Against Countries That Allow Piracy
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The Bush Administration put nine countries, including China, on a "priority watch list" to discourage piracy of U.S. software, movies and music overseas. (AP)
The administration on Friday placed the nine countries on a "priority watch list" that will subject them to extra scrutiny and could eventually lead to economic sanctions - if the administration decides to pursue complaints before the World Trade Organization.
In addition to China and Russia, the other seven countries targeted were Argentina, Chile, India, Israel, Pakistan, Thailand and Venezuela.
The administration named another 31 countries to a lower-level watch list, indicating it has concerns about copyright violations in those nations but they don't warrant the highest level of scrutiny.
Because of improvements in their efforts to protect U.S. intellectual property rights, four countries - Egypt, Lebanon, Turkey and Ukraine - were
Pirates and counterfeiters don't just steal ideas, they steal jobs and too often they threaten our health and safety.
U.S. Trade Representative Susan SchwabIn releasing the annual report, which is required by Congress, U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab said that copyright piracy is "one of the central challenges facing the global economy."
"Pirates and counterfeiters don't just steal ideas, they steal jobs and too often they threaten our health and safety," she said in a statement.
This year's report devoted attention to what it described as the growing problem of counterfeited pharmaceuticals and other products that threaten the health and safety of consumers around the world.
Stan McCoy, assistant U.S. trade representative for intellectual property, told reporters in a briefing that both China and Russia had made improvements in protecting intellectual property over the past year but that a number of issues remain.
The United States has a WTO case pending against China in which it has accused the country of doing too little to crack down on rampant piracy of American music, movies, computer programs and other products.
Discussions between the United States and Russia over improving copyright protections have been a key sticking point in negotiations over that country's bid to become a member of the WTO, the Geneva-based organization that regulates world trade.
© MMVIII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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See all 41 CommentsThankfully, the 8 year BUSH reign of terror will be coming to an end on Jan. 20, 2009!!!
Sheesh!
Worst President ever.
He''ll be invading Indonesia because they have lots of oil, I mean, piracy.
Thanks for apologizing for voting for Bush. I didn''t either time, but the fact that we bother to vote at all gives us much more right to complain than those that don''t bother.
Actually, didn''t Kerry actually win the last election by popular vote and the delegates overturned it??? I believe this is why most of the state representatives were replaced the last go-around.
With what a vicious tongue lashing?
oooooo I bet that scared them ROFL!
I want too apologize to the nation for voting for Bush, what a big mistake that was.
Guess just not the people with the money....I guess...You know when I do get this to go thru which I have tried about a dozen times they keep disabling the publish button...IS BUSH CLEARING THIS TOOOO??
Guess just not the people with the money....I guess...You know when I do get this to go thru which I have tried about a dozen times they keep disabling the publish button...IS BUSH CLEARING THIS TOOOO??
Guess just not the people with the money....I guess...You know when I do get this to go thru which I have tried about a dozen times they keep disabling the publish button...IS BUSH CLEARING THIS TOOOO??
Guess just not the people with the money....I guess...You know when I do get this to go thru which I have tried about a dozen times they keep disabling the publish button...IS BUSH CLEARING THIS TOOOO??
Guess just not the people with the money....I guess...You know when I do get this to go thru which I have tried about a dozen times they keep disabling the publish button...IS BUSH CLEARING THIS TOOOO??
Guess just not the people with the money....I guess...You know when I do get this to go thru which I have tried about a dozen times they keep disabling the publish button...IS BUSH CLEARING THIS TOOOO??
Guess just not the people with the money....I guess...You know when I do get this to go thru which I have tried about a dozen times they keep disabling the publish button...IS BUSH CLEARING THIS TOOOO??
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See all 41 Comments