The United States has added Canada to its piracy Priority Watch List, calling the nation one of the worst “offenders of copyright piracy.”
Adds the US Trade Representatives (USTR): “In this time of economic uncertainty, we need to redouble our efforts to work with all of our trading partners - even our closest allies and neighbors such as Canada - to enhance protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights.”
ESA (Entertainment Software Association) of Canada CEO Michael Gallagher approved of the move adding: “Canada’s weak laws and enforcement practicies foster game piracy in the Canadian market and pave the way for unlawful imports into the US.”
The ESA believes Canada need to strengthen its lax rules on piracy, ban mod chips completely, “provide Customs officials with the authority to seize counterfeit products on the Canadian border” and create “incentives” for ISPs to stop piracy at its source.
“Canada contributes significantly to the development of today’s leading games - creating thousands of high-paying jobs along the way,” Gallagher added. “We are eager to see Canada become a full partner in protecting these products on the way to market.”
The other nations on the Priority Watch List are Argentina, Chile, China, India, Israel, Pakistan, Russia, Thailand, Venezuela, Algeria and Indonesia.
Result for: counterfeit products
In mid-October, the Argentine coast guard targeted one of the most notorious piracy markets. The La Salada market has been targeted before, and has a reputation for housing enormous amounts of counterfeit products. The Economic Crime Unit executed several search warrants on warehouses around the market, located in the suburbs of Buenos Aires.
The raids were the result of an investigation that lasted for a year, targeting imported products entering the Port of Argentina found to have suspect invoices and to be undervalued. The products would (and do) end up in pirate markets all across the country as they move through the illicit chain.
The actions yielded five million discs containing music and films, 63 burners, two industrial printers and 200 master plates that are used for professional album cover replication. Several organized crime syndicates have been identified as operating in the market.
