It seems the US government is misleading folks again with its claims of intellectual property theft.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/30/AR2007043000501.htmlChina, Russia and 10 other nations were targeted by the Bush administration for failing to sufficiently protect American producers of music, movies and other copyrighted material from widespread piracy.
The Bush administration on Monday placed the 12 countries on a "priority watch list" which will subject them to extra scrutiny and could eventually lead to economic sanctions if the administration decides to bring trade cases before the World Trade Organization.
We must defend ideas, inventions and creativity from rip-off artists and thieves," U.S. Trade Representative Susan C. Schwab said in a statement accompanying this year's report.
In addition to Russia and China, the 10 countries placed on the priority watch list were Argentina, Chile, Egypt, India, Israel, Lebanon, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine and Venezuela.
The article states the real reason Thailand was put on the list was suprisingly enough for making cheap aids drugs as they do in south africa to combat the rampant epidemic.
The Thai government in January issued compulsory licenses allowing the use of much cheaper generic versions of two leading drugs in Thailand.
Thailand is currently in a dispute with international drug companies including Abbott Laboratories of the United States over the cost of drugs to fight AIDS and other diseases.
"The report ignores important international agreements signed by the U.S. government ... which clearly state that developing countries have the right to place public health and the public interest over intellectual property rules," said Rohit Malpani, a policy adviser with Oxfam
It seems that while its nice to claim your being ripped off the real truth is not always so clear cut and profit should never be put before a single human life.
I await a Chinese response to this announcement as its been more active than it has previously in trying to secure the MPAA/RIAA a market and may take this as a slap in the face.
Am I the only one who knows Allofmp3.com moved its servers to the Ukraine and should therefore not figure in any Russian discussions ?
