Source: Diário do Povo - SP - Campinas / SP - 04/06/2010

Police create elite group 1st DP of Campinas assembles special team to act in the identification and seizure of illegal products

From Anhanguera Agency

Police officers from the 1st Police District of Campinas are closing in on piracy, especially in the city center. For this, they hold courses, lectures and seminars in order to combat the trade in illegal products, ranging from media and software, without authorization from the manufacturer, even products such as clothes, sneakers, cigarettes, among others. The objective of forming this “elite group”, as delegate Antônio Eribelto Piva Júnior explains, is to give strength to the anti-piracy work, which takes place in several cities in the country. The last course taken by agents was held last week.

Piva explains that Campinas has been a constant focus of attention in the fight against illegal products. In May, for example, an operation at a computer store located in the Center resulted in the seizure of 34 irregular media, serial code numbers and a computer. "The goal is to have a specialized team that knows how to differentiate products based on complaints and even on operations that the police must constantly carry out," he commented. Other actions have already been taken at businesses in the central region to seize illegal materials.

The delegate also explains that the specialization is not only focused on software piracy (today one of the most counterfeited in the country and in the region), but also for other types of products, including counterfeits at the time of the World Cup, such as t-shirts, among others. “Software piracy is one of the ways and the person can even be indicted for copyright infringement.”

According to the delegate, more than 6 million units of cigarettes and more than 5 million pirated CDs and DVDs have been seized in the last four years alone. Most of the products have already been destroyed after being sent to the courts.

SOFTWARE. According to data released by the Brazilian Association of Software Companies (ABES), the State of São Paulo lost, in 2008, around R $ 1,3 billion just due to software piracy. "And Campinas is one of the most affected locations, as it is a commercial and service hub," said the coordinator of the anti-piracy group at ABES, Antônio Eduardo Mendes da Silva.

A study carried out by the International Data Corporation (IDC) indicates that if piracy were reduced by 6%, about 19,5 direct and indirect jobs would be generated, in addition to R $ 1,7 billion more in the market and an increase in R $ 328 million in taxes.

Merchandise arrives from Paraguay

According to delegate Antônio Eriberto Piva, many of the illegal products also arrive in Campinas through a connection with Paraguay. In April, a truck with 450 smuggled cigarette cases was stopped by a routine inspection by the Taciba Highway Police (SP). The driver was arrested in the act for smuggling.

He told the police that he received R $ 2 to drive the truck from Foz do Iguaçu, Paraná, to Campinas. The truck and Paraguayan cargo were seized.