Brazil - Brazzil Mag - US Group Asks Brazil Be Punished for Contempt for Patents

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Defenders of Property Rights today announced plans to petition Acting U.S. Trade Representative, Peter Allgeier, to revoke Brazil's preferred trade status with the United States, otherwise known as the Generalized System of Preferences.

The United States is reviewing Brazil's GSP status and is expected to reach a decision by March 31, 2005.

"Brazil's failure to enforce existing property right laws demands a revocation in their GSP status with the U.S.," said Nancie Marzulla, president of Defenders of Property Rights.

"Brazil's intellectual property rights abuses under the leadership of President Lula threaten the strength and growth of the American economy."

Brazil, one of America's largest trading partners, exported goods valued at $21.3 billion in 2003 to the U.S., of which, 14 percent enjoyed duty-free status.

In January 2001, due to a petition from the International Intellectual Property Alliance (IIPA) for a chronic lack of enforcement of copyright laws, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) placed Brazil on the Special 301 Watchlist.

The withdrawal of duty-free treatment under the Generalized System of Preferences would send a strong message to the government of Brazil, which has relied on its special duty-free trade status to develop into the world's 11th largest economy.

Brazil announced last week that it intends to break patents on AIDS drugs, demanding that U.S. companies forfeit their intellectual property rights, opening the door for further intellectual property abuses.

Defenders of Property Rights was founded in 1991 to counterbalance the governmental threat to private property as a result of a broad range of regulations.

They say they believe that society can achieve important social objectives such as protection of the environment and preservation of the national heritage without destroying private property rights or undermining free market principles.

No Worldwide Patent Rights for ALL Cruci
written by Guest, 2006-01-02 14:48:54

If the capitalist ("republican?") mind had in fact any true regard for human life instead of sheer long-term profits and exploitation of human suffering of the poor and helpless, capitalist governments should reimburse all crucial R&D od life-saving medicines and equipment at a non-markup basis, and share their fabrication methods worldwide without reserves. Brazil should be followed by all developing and really social-minded countries.

The pharmaceutical industries in collusion with most of the medical class have taken the majority of the American society as hostage of their evil virtual oligopoly. Someone should organize a demonstration with the theme: Enough is enough for health costs!

Agree !
written by Guest, 2006-01-02 15:06:00

There is also the forgotten fact that, even though the Brazilian economy is getting increasingly stronger, this was done at the expense of dizimating 65% of the middle-class in a 200 million country. Interest rates are astronomical to the poor and most new jobs are just for lower-qualified professionals. This process is making the remaining middle-class to be more indebted and becoming lower class.

The lowest class could raise their monthly salaries from $80 to $180 or so in the last 3 years. So, the current Brazilian lowest class would have to earn many times more to afford some AIDS medicines at their current prices. So, it doesn't matter if the country is paying debts faster and the overall economy is getting stronger if this means good part of its most productive population segment was ripped off and is poorer now.