Brazil, Pakistan Criticize ‘Piracy Solution’

Demand clarity, reform, say blind enforcement risks the delicate balance between copyright holders and users, and may also “trample upon principles that are pillars of fundamental human rights.” Wants developing countries to have increased say as major copyright holder nations advance their agenda.

Developing countries are starting to realize they must be proactive in developing intellectual property enforcement regimes within the World Intellectual Property Organization or they risk being overpowered by major rights-holding counties like the US which are currently negotiating a separate Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) outside the WIPO system.

“For the first time developing countries put forth the agenda,” said Ali Asad Gilani, first secretary of Pakistan’s delegation.

Pakistan and Brazil each submitted proposals to the enforcement committee for consideration.

Pakistan expressed its skepticism of piracy and counterfeiting statistics in general, noting that they are “generally with little transparency regarding the raw data and the methodology used to derive those figures.” Thus, the numbers are viewed as self-serving components of aggressive economic interests. Without credible and impartial figures it says there is no way countries can even begin to build a higher standard of enforcement.

High costs of copyrighted works contribute to the problem as well, creating huge profit margins between the costs of the original and pirated version.

“Quite clearly, business models are not adequately addressing the pricing-cost issues involved in selling products,” it says. “Unreasonably, higher costs along with barriers to access, do provide some justification to the consumers to use counterfeit and pirated goods.”

For developing countries with limited financial resources and infrastructure it says trying to divert resources from developmental and even other law enforcement requirements is often “difficult to justify.”

And it criticizes developing countries for what it calls “forum shopping,” that is looking for other avenues like the secret Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) to achieve their agenda outside the WIPO.

It says the real solution to the problem i…

Read the rest of the article as well as commentary on Zeropaid

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