Author: Eliane Oliveira and Cássia Almeida

Source: O Globo - Rio de Janeiro / RJ - ECONOMY - 07/05/2010

BRASÍLIA, RIO and WAHINGTON. The Brazilian government is concerned with the negotiations led by the United States, Japan and the European Union on an anti-piracy trade agreement (Acta, acronym in English). According to the director of the Itamaraty Economic Department, Carlos Márcio Cozendey, the rules would be created outside the World Trade Organization (WTO). Experts, however, believe the deal will not succeed.

- We are following and it seems to us that it is too early for an evaluation. We have already found it worrisome for a group of countries to create rules that interest everyone and, at the same time, go beyond what is in the WTO - Cozendey told GLOBO.

In a preliminary analysis, the government fears problems in the distribution of generic drugs and the expansion of arbitration forums involving intellectual property, since there is the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

The agreement is not welcomed by Brazilian diplomacy.

Estanislau do Amaral, in charge of intellectual property in the Brazilian mission in Geneva, said that Brazil does not participate in it “nor does it want to”, because it understands that the themes must be in WTO and WIPO: - It is a plurilateral agreement that generates imbalances.

For Lampreia, China is the target of the agreement

For ex-minister Rubens Ricupero, the reaction of developing countries, NGOs and the European Parliament itself will abort the agreement. For Luiz Felipe Lampreia, a former foreign minister, the agreement has a certain target: China.

- Countries are badly hit by counterfeiting.

In Washington, Brazil follows the negotiations.

- Canada, Japan and other countries interpret certain initiatives as an attempt by the USA to impose standards of intellectual defense policy. This will not be completed now, it is a thing for years - evaluated a government source.

COLLABORATED: Fernando Eichenberg, correspondent