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The war on piracy and organized crime is gaining reinforcements in Brazil. Through a partnership between the Brazilian government and the Interpol (international police), special police divisions will be established to combat these crimes.
Units are expected to exist in all the states by the end of the year. The national secretary of Public Security of the Ministry of Justice, Luiz Fernando Corrêa, said that the Brazilian government has changed the way it views this matter.
"Piracy is now seen as the product of organized crime and no longer as a social issue," he claimed.
In his opinion, it is important for states to participate in the war on this type of crime.
"The idea is to consolidate this cooperation and integration in the national and international spheres. We are mobilizing and qualifying the states, and we shall also provide them with structures and back them in the war on this type of crime, because it has become a matter of government policy," he explained.
"The problem of piracy is global, not just a Latin American problem. It is a crime that costs everyone a lot."
He informs that, in the presence of this type of crime, many taxes go unpaid in the country, and that the government is deprived of around US$ 67 billion (160 billion reais) in taxes each year.
Another consequence is that around 1.5 million jobs fail to be created each year as a result of piracy and smuggling. In Brazil the chief pirated items are CDs, cigarettes, and watches.
In Latin America phony goods account for as many as 45% of the VHSs and DVDs that are sold, according to data from the Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (Adepi).
It is estimated that over 70% of the computer components on the market are the fruit of piracy or contraband. 53% of software programs, for example, are fake.
ABr - www.radiobras.gov.br
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