Source: O Globo, 15/10/2004

The figures are impressive: US $ 30 million in taxes and 4,5 million jobs will be usurped by the end of the year by the arms of piracy in Brazil, projected by the Trade Federation of the State of Rio de Janeiro (Fecomércio-RJ). The values ​​were brought up at the seminar? Piracy and Social Responsibility?, Promoted by Fecomércio-RJ and GLOBO, last Wednesday. And the bleeding doesn't stop there. According to Orlando Diniz, president of the federation, piracy and smuggling account for around US $ 20 billion, more than 20% of everything that Brazil should export this year. According to the figures presented by Fecomércio, the computer, toy and fabric industries accumulate annual losses of US $ 15 billion:

? Brazil occupies the sad second place on the piracy podium, with 70% of sales of counterfeit products, in an estimated volume of US $ 300 million. And the Brazilian music industry estimates its losses at around US $ 500 million per year? said Diniz, in his lecture.

The director of Fecomércio draws attention to the danger of counterfeiting medicines, car parts and toys. Diniz says that approximately 30% of car accidents are caused by counterfeit parts.

? Piracy currently permeates the entire productive sector. And does the population suffer the consequences of selling adulterated medicine, fake pieces and even toys made with cancer products? alert.

Crime has acceptance
popular, says deputy

And the advancement of technology, coupled with the popular acceptance of piracy, has given the necessary impetus to this criminal practice, in the opinion of federal deputy Júlio Lopes (PP-RJ), who was vice president of the CPI of Piracy in Congress. According to him, piracy was the crime that grew the most in the last decade:

? With the advancement of technology, the world industrial park was practically equalized. The differences are in the marketing actions and in the tradition that the brands have conquered over the years.

The growth of this crime industry is a worldwide concern, according to Lopes. So much so, that Interpol, the international police, is creating a special anti-piracy group.

? And Brazil will have a Brazilian police officer at that summit. In May of next year, Interpol will send technicians to train personnel specialized in the repression of this type of crime. Will the members of this group function as radiators of this knowledge throughout Brazil? informed Lopes, adding that, in 2005, 181 delegations and 600 agents will be in Brazil for the Interpol World Meeting.

Society's tolerance of piracy also impedes repression, in the opinion of the federal deputy. For him, as the social problem in Brazil is serious and affects millions of Brazilians, the sale of pirated products is tolerated by the population as a relief for the crisis:

? Even state governors are tolerant of piracy, because they believe it will mitigate the social crisis. Is this an assault on citizenship, one of the most serious problems in fighting this crime? says.

According to him, even with the arrest, in June, of one of the main suspects of piracy and smuggling in Brazil, the Chinese Law Kin Chong, the scheme continues in full swing:

? The entire Chinese commercial apparatus continues to function. Are there 25 thousand square meters of stores and three malls? says Lopes.

And a certain destruction of values ​​is behind this advance of piracy, according to Emerson Kapaz, president of the Instituto de Ética Concorrencial (Etco), a non-governmental organization created by entrepreneurs from various productive sectors. For him, corruption is another evil that works in favor of piracy:

? It is too much money, irrigating the Judiciary, politicians and even the Executive.

He cites informality as another evil that contaminates a country's economy, using figures from Mckinsey & Company. In the consultancy study, it is estimated that informality accounts for 40% of the income generated in the country:

? Informality brings down a country's overall productivity, and the right companies end up losing their ability to invest.

High tax burden encourages piracy

This percentage, however, is contested by the IBGE, an institute that calculates the Gross Domestic Product (GDP, set of all the wealth generated in the country). According to Roberto Olinto, National Accounts Manager at IBGE, the rate fluctuates between 10% and 13%:

? Is it an absolutely unrealistic figure and not based on any study of national accounts? says Olinto.

In addition to informality, Kapaz also blames the high tax burden, which affects about 38% of GDP, bureaucracy and the slow pace of the judiciary as facilitators of this invasion of piracy.