News

Argentina: a priority for the anti-piracy fight of the United States.

Due to the imminent issue of a new version of the Special 301 Report List prepared annually by the Office of Intellectual Property and Innovation of the Government of the United States of America, the International Intellectual Property Alliance (“IPA, for its acronym in English”), has published its annual report year 2013 recommending the United States Government to maintain Argentina within the list of countries which require a priority surveillance and action on behalf of the American government.

Through the Special 301 List Report, the Government of the United States identifies the countries where the legislation and protection of the intellectual property turns out alarming for the commercial interests of the United States.

Regarding these countries, the American Government is suggested to adopt different plans of action focused on reducing piracy, actions such as putting pressure for the adaptation of local legislations to the requirements of the American government, or the enforcement of specific economic sanctions on behalf of the United States in their commercial relationships with the infringing countries.

In fact, more than one decade ago Argentina is part of the ranking of the countries which require priority surveillance and action by the United States.

Thus, in its annual report, the IIPA denounced a prevailing increase of piracy in Argentina, increase which is attached to an alarming indifference of the Argentine Government in the addoptionadoption of preventive and punitive measures against piracy.

Exceeded only by Ukraine, and sharing the “podium” together with Chile, China, Costa Rica, India, Indonesia and Russia, Argentina leads the awfully famous Special 301 List, with a critical level of piracy on line – through the interchange and ilegal downloading of files in sites such as Cuevana.tv, Musicuo,com and Taringa.net -, but also with an alarming development of the industry of trademark forgery in products in fairs and popular markets such as “La Salada”.

Thus, the IIPA has required once again to the United States Government the pressing adoption of a plan of action as regards Argentina, and urges this country to take immediate measures to combat piracy, among which it is proposed: the reform of legislation regarding intellectual property, a more effective supervision of the traffic of contents in Internet, a higher and more efficient participation of the jurisdictional body in the pursuit and conviction of said infringements, along with the imperious need of cooperation by the governmental authorities.

Carmen Sánchez-Puelles