Government will propose creation of popular lines of DVDs and CDs
Source: O Globo, 16/10/2004
BRASILIA. In an attempt to combat piracy crimes, the government will propose to entrepreneurs a kind of price reduction pact for CDs, DVDs, books and other products that are easier to smuggle and counterfeit. The idea is to launch a line of popular products that would compete with illegal ones. For the government, the great distance between the prices of pirated products and those of legal products is the main cause of the increase in piracy in the country. In 15 days, the topic will begin to be discussed by the National Council to Combat Piracy and Crimes Against Intellectual Property, created yesterday by presidential decree.
? If everyone gives up part of the profit, will the distance between the prices of criminal products and the legal ones become much smaller? said the executive secretary of the Ministry of Justice, Luiz Paulo Barreto, who will discuss, with the Council, the campaign "Legal Brazil", to be run in November.
Barreto said the goal is to discuss how all sectors affected by piracy can contribute to reducing costs. Including the government itself:
? If taxes are the problem, let's see what can be changed; if it’s inputs, we’ll see how to bring prices down.
According to him, the government also intends to combat oligopolies that contribute to price increases:
? They are public utility services. Let's see all the areas. If we understand that there is a mafia behind the distribution, for example, we will act.
Barreto said that on November 19, Mercosur countries (Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay and Argentina) should sign an agreement that provides for cooperation in the fight against piracy. Brazil and China are also expected to sign an agreement to this effect in November.
According to the decree published yesterday, the new Council will be formed by members of the Ministries of Justice, Labor, Foreign Affairs, Tourism, Industry and Commerce and the Civil Cabinet. Through private initiative, Brazilian associations of record producers (ABPD), software companies (ABS), defense of intellectual property (Adepi), reprographic rights (ABDR) and intellectual property (Abpi), in addition to Instituto Etco.
