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Tag: Combating Piracy

Escola Legal holds forum to educate educators

The month of September marked the 2012th Forum of Educators Awareness in Combating Piracy, as part of the activities of the Escola Legal Project in 150. To meet the great interest of educators in participating, the Forum was divided into three stages, held in different dates and with more than XNUMX participants in total.

Held on September 1, the first stage of the VI Educators Awareness Forum on Combating Piracy had as its theme “Copyright and Intellectual Property X Piracy”. The subject, of great relevance, was chosen to start the event, which is part of the 2012 activities of the project and which aims to offer content and information to educators from public and private education networks, with a view to raising awareness in society, through the school community, about the evils of piracy.

The event featured a lecture by Frank Caramuru, director of the Business Software Alliance (BSA) in Brazil, who spoke about the danger of pirated products and the damage they cause to society, the government and companies. Then, Sirlei Côrtes, representative of the Motion Picture Association (MPA), gave his testimony on the impact of piracy for the film sector. In addition, the documentary “Cidade Livre de Pirataria” was produced, produced in partnership with the São Paulo City Hall, through the Urban Security Secretariat, on how the city is acting to combat this crime. The first stage of the event also featured an Educators Workshop.

The 2nd Stage of the Forum, on September 15, had the theme "Health and Medicines X Piracy", discussed in speeches and testimonies from companies and entities in the area.

ETW representative Karen Watanabe addressed the harm of piracy to society and presented data and statistics for some sectors most affected by counterfeiting and smuggling. The product protection specialist at Eli Lilly do Brasil, Mônica Hattori, who also represented Interfarma (Association of Pharmaceutical and Research Industries), spoke about the risks of drug piracy to the health of patients, in addition to showing the mechanisms of prevention and differentiation between original and counterfeit medicines, helping educators to clarify a series of doubts.

The third panel, given by Pfizer's Corporate Security manager, Alberto Santos, complemented Mônica's lecture by emphasizing the connection of criminal gangs with drug piracy and the issue of high profits obtained by criminals who counterfeit drugs.

To close the cycle, the third stage was held on September 29. In discussion, the theme “Sustainability and Environment X Piracy”. Marcio Furrier, Business Development Manager at HP, presented sustainable actions by the company, such as recycling and reusing printing supplies, and the importance of these actions to prevent or avoid impact on the environment. Furrier also explained which security items should be evaluated at the time of purchase and how to differentiate an original HP packaging from a counterfeit.

Then, there was a lecture by the Project Manager of the Department of Urban Environment of the Ministry of the Environment, Mr. Ronaldo Hipólito Soares, who spoke about the National Solid Waste Plan.

More information about the Legal School Project and the VI Educators Awareness Forum on Combating Piracy are available at http://www.projetoescolalegal.org.br/

 

Against piracy, drugs will earn their own 'RG'

Source: Veja.com - July 21, 2012

Link to article: http://veja.abril.com.br/noticia/saude/remedios-que-podem-matar

The World Health Organization estimates that 10% of the medicines consumed in the world are counterfeit. In developing countries, such as Brazil, the rate rises up to 30%. To contain piracy and stem an estimated loss of 13 billion reais to the country per year, a 2009 law should finally come off the record in the second half of this year. The text creates the National Medicines Control System and should allow medicines to be tracked from manufacture to the pharmacy counter. The norm of the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) gives each drug a unique identifier - a kind of RG of the drug.

The trade in counterfeit drugs is considered a heinous crime, with a penalty of 10 to 15 years in prison. To deceive the consumer, pirates copy the boxes, packaging and even the colors and shapes of the pills. At best, the victims will be consuming a pill of flour and will run, without knowing it, all the risks of those who interrupt or even start medical treatment. At worst, they will be consuming any other substance, potentially harmful, sometimes lethal.

In 2006, more than 100 patients died in Panama from drugs made with counterfeit glycerin. In 2008, contaminated versions of the anticoagulant Heparin, imported from China, killed 62 people in the United States. In 2011, pirated versions of Truvada and Viread, against AIDS, were seized in England. Estimates from the International Policy Network, an organization based in London, show that the consumption of fake drugs against tuberculosis and malaria has been responsible for more than 700.000 deaths to date.

According to diplomat Roberto Abdenur, current president of the Brazilian Institute of Competition Ethics (ETCO), counterfeiting of medicines is the most cruel form of piracy. While most of the time consumers of pirated electronics, CDs and DVDs know they are buying fake products, the one who buys the drugs is often acting in good faith. "And the poorest, in search of affordable prices, are the most affected," he says.

Online Piracy - According to Anvisa, the traditional selling points for pirated medicines are street vendors and open markets. But fake drugs can also be found in pharmacies, mainly outside the country's major centers. “The Brazilian market is very large. We have many municipalities where enforcement is tenuous, and informality is high, ”says Sérgio Mena Barreto, executive president of the Brazilian Association of Pharmacy and Drugstore Networks (Abrafarma).

In the last decade, technological advances have opened yet another route for this illegal trade: the internet. According to a survey commissioned by the Ministry of Health and released by the newspaper The Globe, there are about 1.200 illegal websites selling drugs in the country.

Anvisa informs that online pharmacies can only function if they also exist physically, with a proven address, and with the agency's authorization. According to delegate Paulo Alberto Mendes Pereira, from the 2nd Police Station for Public Health and Crimes Involving Medicines, in São Paulo, combating these pharmacies is not easy. “Many of these sites are registered in other countries, which makes work difficult. However, 40 days ago, we carried out an operation where we apprehended 4 drugs sold illegally over the internet ”, he says.

Weapons and drugs - According to the Center for Medicine of Public Interest, an American research group funded by the pharmaceutical industry, the world market for fake medicines grows 13% annually. Piracy is practiced on a global scale and is thus linked to other mafias, drug and arms trafficking.

"Shipments of pirated drugs have already been seized in the same containers as fake electronics and ammunition," says Edson Vismona, president of the National Forum Against Piracy (FNCP), an entity formed by Brazilian companies with the aim of combating product counterfeiting. In Brazil alone, Vismona calculates that the losses reach 13 billion reais, of which five billion in tax evasion alone.

The RG of the remedy - Currently, drug certification mechanisms in Brazil are fragile. 'There is no way to control the batches of medicine', says Sérgio Mena Barreto, from Abrafarma. The new technology to be implemented by Anvisa will make it possible to monitor all drugs produced and sold in Brazil throughout the entire production chain.

When the law was approved in 2009, it was stipulated that Anvisa would have three years to establish the rules to be used. Finally, the agency decided to adopt a technology known as Datamatrix, similar to the barcode. But, while the latter allows the storage of only a number of several digits, Datamatrix allows the reading of various data, as the information is stored both in rows and in columns. The code must contain the drug registration number, batch, validity and a unique identifier of the drug, which would function as a kind of RG.

According to Anvisa, the details about the identification system are still being closed and should be announced in the second half. The law is expected to finally get off the ground. In these three years of discussions, more than 153.000 counterfeit pills were seized in Brazil. Last year alone, 40 joint operations were carried out, during which 177 establishments and 156 people were arrested.

Learn how to identify counterfeit drugs

According to a survey commissioned by the Association of the Pharmaceutical Research Industry (Interfarma), 6% of Brazilians buy medicines from street vendors, and 1% from unauthorized websites. Interfarma gives some tips for the consumer to recognize pirated products:

  1. • Scratch card - All medicines have a kind of “scratch card” on the packaging. With any metallic object it is possible to scrape and find a product security code.
  2. • Security seal - More expensive drugs also have security seals on the inside. When in doubt, contact the manufacturer's Customer Service Center (SAC).
  3. • Shapes and colors - Pharmaceutical companies invest to vary the shape of their pills. Some are triangular, others balloon-shaped. Another difference is the colors, textures and logos attached to the pill. Paying attention to these details also helps to avoid pirated products.
  4. • Confidence in selling - Finally, another way to avoid counterfeiting is to always use reliable points of sale and demand invoices for the sale.

“Look at the rapa”: an alert for street vendors

By Nelson Vasconcelos, Diário de S. Paulo - 07/01/2005

For those who don't know, rapa is the City Hall car that drives inspectors and police through the streets 'to seize goods from unlicensed street vendors', as the Houaiss Electronic dictionary says. At least on the streets of Rio and São Paulo, it is not uncommon to hear the warning of street vendors threatened by the proximity of the Law, shouting loudly: "Look at the rapa!" – and whoever is sensible should run away, to avoid being detained for a few minutes and losing their products.

Read also Money that stopped being collected with piracy would give to build 200 schools

And this is still a holdover from the 'romantic times of camelting'. Today it's not that much anymore, mainly because the coexistence between the men of the Law and the street vendors is much more tolerant and comradely, so to speak.

Well… this brief digression comes about the farewell to this column, which over the past eight months has presented different aspects of the large piracy market in the country and in the world. Once the alert has been made about the problems that piracy brings to the economy of countries — especially those on the periphery, like us — it's time to move forward. It's time to shave off…

Before that, the column thanks the collaboration of several sources — each defending its side, of course — and the multiple criticisms it received during that time. If all of them were not answered, it was due to lack of time.

Of the hundreds of emails that made it to the column — including messages sent via the internet — most claimed that companies have their share of blame for piracy, basically for stimulating rampant consumption and for not offering affordable prices at all levels of the population. It is a very frequent criticism in relation to goods such as clothing, CDs and DVDs, for example. Anyone who doesn't have R$25 for an original CD pays ten reais for three pirates on the corner. As music is increasingly a perishable, short-lived product, the pirated CD lasts at least until the favorite artist goes out of style. And who doesn't have Nike hunts with Naike…

Companies from various sectors, in turn, claim high spending on research and product development, hence their prices. And they say that the issue of piracy would be more related to a certain 'lack of honesty' of the consumer in general.

Companies also complain about something important: high taxation by the Government, which directly influences the final price of products to the consumer. But the Government does not seem to realize that high taxation does not necessarily mean higher revenue. Experiences in São Paulo, reported here, have already shown that consumers are able to choose the legal product, if the price to be paid is consistent.

The companies also demand from the Government more vigorous actions by the inspection and repression agencies against contraband, tax evasion and theft of goods. There are those who argue to what extent this is legitimate, as it means government spending to protect purely private interests, with no public benefit. It is a discussion that goes far.

The column spoke to sectors of the Government that, for their part, recognize their limitations and plan to put in practice, in the coming months, actions that can reduce the problem of piracy in the country. It will not be an easy task, considering that there is a lack of investments in technology and personnel, in addition to greater exchange between public agencies and, one of the great knots in the country, a more agile Justice.

Brazil loses R $ 287,9 billion to the illegal market

Another issue involving the Government is its (in)ability to negotiate with friendly countries — mainly those of Mercosur — and articulate with them a joint and permanent action against piracy.

It should not be forgotten that the United States, sheriffs in world trade, is putting strong pressure on countries that give piracy a chance. This could mean billion-dollar losses for the country's economy.

The Brazilian Legislative has repeatedly shown itself concerned with the matter and has done its part — it is a more than commendable effort, rare in the case of the Legislative. The formation of an exclusive inter-ministerial committee to combat piracy is in itself a positive point. When you start working, it will certainly be better.

Anyway, the message is given: piracy is the economy of illusion. As I said here, when a consumer chooses to buy a counterfeit or smuggled product, it looks like he is getting a good product, it looks like he is creating jobs, it looks like he is contributing to the country's economy. But it is all illusion. In the long run, the result is negative for several sectors. Better not pay to see.

Nor can the column cite an interesting discovery: that of reader Edson Barreto, an observer of the day-to-day on the streets, who wrote dozens of good stories about street vendors and street commerce. It is piracy, I would say, collaborating positively for the revival of the boring carioca chronicle.

And the most important: that 2005 is a very, very good year for everyone.