Author: Ronaldo Braga

Source: O Globo Online - 01/07/2010

Rio - With the objective of raising awareness, giving tips and guiding consumers at the time of purchase, in addition to showing that the acquisition of pirated products is considered a crime, the Alerj Antipiracy Commission traveling van will be tomorrow, starting at 10 am, at Largo da Taquara, in Jacarepaguá, in the West Zone, distributing the booklet “Olho Vivo-Say Não à Pirataria”. Commission technicians will also be taking questions from consumers.

Consumers who want to denounce the sale of pirated products can call the Disque-Antipirataria, which serves on 0800.282.6582, from Monday to Friday, from 10 am to 18 pm. The service computed during the first half of June, a total of 48 calls. The champions of complaints were CDs, DVDs, sporting goods and medicines.

Downtown, Madureira, Tijuca and São Gonçalo were the most cited neighborhoods. Since the beginning of the year, the Disque-Antipirataria has received 278 complaints, which from July onwards, will be forwarded to the Federal Revenue Service so that the data provided can be cross-checked, in order to try to identify possible evasions of companies and stores that it has. their products traded in hiding.

- The number of pirated products marketed in the city increases considerably. There are toys, clothes, electronic products, lamps and sneakers sold without any type of certification, which hinders legalized trade - explained Dionísio Lins, president of the Commission.

He also said that the inspectors and technicians of the Anti-Piracy Commission will initially have an educational and not repressive mission. According to the parliamentarian, the booklet aims to raise the population's awareness and invest in the formation of the “consumer of the future”, taking the commission's technicians to public and private schools, where they will hold lectures in order to prepare young consumers, in addition to fostering discussions on the subject.

- To give you an idea, a survey carried out by IBGE among young people from Rio de Janeiro, showed that 93,8% of the interviewees buy pirated products and are aware that this is illegal. The reason alleged by them is the low cost of these goods - said the parliamentarian.

The research also revealed that although they know about the illegality of the product, these young people are unaware of the harm that pirates can cause, as well as they are not aware of the economic and legal losses they entail. Dionísio also recalled that Rio de Janeiro loses about R $ 188 million in revenue all year round with piracy; in addition to failing to generate approximately 18 thousand new jobs.