USTR continues Brazil GSP review

USTR continues Brazil GSP review The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative said it will continue to review an industry petition to remove Brazil from a list of duty-free provisions reserved for developing countries.
   The petition, filed by the International Intellectual Property Alliance, accuses Brazil of failing to stop copyright piracy. The alliance called for Brazil’s removal from the U.S. Generalized System of Preferences (GSP).
   “The extension of the review is a result of some initial positive steps taken by the Brazilian government, as well as USTR consultations with U.S. copyright stakeholders,” said USTR in a statement Monday.
   On March 8, Acting U.S. Trade Representative Peter Allgeier met with Brazilian Undersecretary Clodoaldo Hugueney, to review Brazil’s enforcement measures from September 2004 to February 2005, which included raids and other police actions. During this same period, Brazil’s National Council to Combat Piracy and Intellectual Property Crimes, which includes industry representatives from the United States, adopted a National Action Plan on March 17.
   “The United States believes that these efforts represent a promising change in Brazil’s commitment to address long-standing piracy and enforcement concerns, and a new stage for greater cooperation with the private sector,” USTR said. “However, to date, these efforts have fallen short in bringing about a significant increase in the number of prosecutions and convictions for criminal copyright violations, which is a key element for successfully reducing piracy levels.”
   As part of its continued work with Brazil, USTR’s GSP review has been extended to Sept. 30 to allow time for the new National Action Plan to become effective in enforcing copyrights and reducing piracy, the agency said.