Jornal do Brasil - 21/01/2005 (Photo: Paulo Nicolella)
 

Three shredding machines destroyed a million pirated CDs, DVDs and videotapes yesterday in Maracanã

Rio is the third state in Brazil, which appears in the ranking of countries in fourth place, with the highest piracy rate and will host in June the 1st International Week to combat piracy, which will be chaired by Interpol. The announcement was made yesterday on the Maracanã lawn when three shredders destroyed one million CDs, DVDs and videotapes seized between mid-2003 and early 2005. The whole action was monitored by the Secretary of Public Security of the State, Marcelo Itagiba, and by representatives of the Public Ministry and the Piracy CPI.
- In June, we will discuss combat strategies and train police officers to act to eliminate this crime - explained the person in charge of Interpol's Intellectual Property Crimes Unit, John Newton.

Interpol data reveal that piracy is the fastest growing crime in the past 10 years. For federal deputy Júlio Lopes, vice president of the subcommittee, Brazil's position in this scenario drew the attention of the body, which invited the country to participate in the summit of five delegates.

- A federal police delegate will be liaison with Interpol, which has knowledge of the entire piracy production chain - said the deputy.

According to the head delegate of the Police Station for the Suppression of Crimes Against Immaterial Property, Marco Aurélio Ribeiro, Rio is only behind Paraná and São Paulo.

- Pirate products arrive mainly on the highways, but the technology allows anyone to make reproductions - he says.

According to the National Council for Combating Piracy, counterfeiting reaches 61% of the software CD market and 70% of the hardware market, generating a loss of 45 thousand jobs, R $ 1,4 billion in taxes and R $ 6 billion in revenues. The pirated music market holds 52% of the total number of CDs on the market. For the director-general of the Brazilian Association of Record Producers, Paulo Rosa, high prices do not justify piracy.

- Those looking for get a better price - he clarifies.