USTR Considers Removing Brazil from GSP Due to IPR Concerns (Review Extended through March 31, 2005)
The U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has issued a press release stating that it will extend through March 31, 2005, its Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) Country Practices Review of a petition to remove GSP duty-free benefits from Brazil due to inadequate protection of intellectual property rights (IPR).
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According to the press release, this is a 180-day extension of the previous deadline of October 1, 2004 for this review.
(See ITT's Online Archives or 07/13/04 news, 04071320 for BP summary of USTR notice of results of GSP 2003 Annual Product Review and 2002 Annual Country Practices Review, etc., which among other things indicated that the Country Practices Review with respect to Brazil IPR issues was being extended 90 days (from June 30, 2004 through September 30, 2004).)
The USTR states that the review has been extended for a second time in order to continue to assess Brazil's progress in addressing copyright piracy concerns.
The USTR notes that the U.S. and Brazil have held a series of meetings on copyright piracy issues, examining both the steps taken and future plans to strengthen and improve copyright enforcement under Brazil's existing laws. Among other steps, USTR states that Brazil has recently established a National Council for Combating Piracy and Intellectual Property Crimes, whose objectives include the development and implementation of a national antipiracy plan.
(According to the press release, the Administration first initiated a GSP Country Practices Review of Brazil in 2001, based on a petition from the International Intellectual Property Alliance (IIPA). According to IIPA, estimated losses due to piracy of copyrighted material totaled $785 million in 2003, the largest loss in the hemisphere. See ITT's Online Archives or 01/11/01 news, 01011040 for BP summary of initiation of the 2001 review.)
USTR press release (dated 12/06/04) available at http://www.ustr.gov/Document_Library/Press_Releases/2004/December/Brazil_Generalized_System_of_Preferences_Intellectual_Property_Rights_Review_Extended.html