By Nelson Vasconcelos, O Globo (Pirataria S / A) - 21/10/2004

The Brazil-US Business Council is releasing its latest survey on the pirate market in Brazil. In addition to presenting figures, it strongly suggests that the Brazilian government invest in a database on these illegal activities. He says this would allow everyone to better understand the economic impacts of piracy on the country's economy.

Such a report serves as a gentle warning to the competent authorities. Is the Brazil-US Business Council a private organization dedicated to promoting the flow of trade? and investments? between Brazil and the USA. Among its duties, it represents a good part of the American investors present in the country. In other words: it has its weight and can influence the American government, which has repeatedly threatened to harden trade relations with Brazil, in the account of piracy.

If Brazilian products are removed from the General Preference System (SGP) because of piracy, the direct losses, right away, will already reach around US $ 2,5 billion. From there, it's downhill. Pessimism? No. This is part of the American policy of protectionist evil, etc. They in charge? at least for a while.

The report assumes that there are several limitations to doing in-depth research in this regard. After all, pirates do not release official figures ... This clandestine, however, does not prevent estimates of the losses of the various sectors of the economy.

Thus, the survey estimates the loss of approximately US $ 1,6 billion in annual sales in sectors such as the software, music, tobacco and toys industries, among others.

For those who buy pirate ties in Largo da Carioca, it doesn't seem like it, but it costs jobs. The toy industry, for example, has closed 80 vacancies in recent years (12% of the market is made up of fake toys, unsuitable for minors ...). The report estimates the number of counterfeit Barbies sold each year in the country at 1,5 million.

The music industry, on the other hand, laid off 55 workers in five years, with the closure of 40 stores across the country. About XNUMX% of all CDs sold are counterfeit. Upward trend.

The damage is also done in less visible markets. This is the case of the optical industry, which closed 102 companies and eight thousand jobs in ten years. About 70% of all glasses sold in the country are counterfeit.

In the so-called copyright industry, losses would reach
about $ 800 million each year, according to the report. In the book market, for example, there would be US $ 14 million in annual losses, while the music industry claims to lose US $ 339 million, with a level of piracy reaching 52% of its entire market. If we can speak of a good consequence of this, it is that record companies are studying and investing in new ways to sell their entertainment products. It is said that it is far from being an exclusively Brazilian problem? still, it can put pressure on the American authorities.

The survey also shows that piracy affects 55% of the entire software industry, which means that around US $ 187 million in taxes are no longer collected. It is estimated that ten percentage points of drop in the sector's piracy would generate US $ 335 million in taxes and 13.400 direct jobs. It's another global problem: the Business Software Alliance (BSA) announced last week that 23% of American companies use some unlicensed software.

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In the end, since the economy does not grow or grows less than it should, a good part of the people who lose their jobs tend to become pirates and consumers of piracy. It is a bottomless pit, a vicious circle with no prospect of improvement.
Finally, there is no lack of estimates. What is missing, says the Brazil-US Business Council, is a large bank that gathers all the information about this market. It takes work, but it must be worth it.