Naughty, Naughty: Annual Section 301 Report From US Trade Representative
The US on Friday placed nine countries on a "priority watch list" for allegedly failing to protect American producers of movies, computer software and other copyrighted material from widespread piracy. This will subject them to extra scrutiny and could eventually lead to economic sanctions - if the administration decides to pursue complaints before the World Trade Organization. The countries were China, Russia, Argentina, Chile, India, Israel, Pakistan, Thailand and Venezuela. Four countries were removed from the list: Egypt, Lebanon, Turkey and Ukraine. Not surprisingly, a large part of the report focuses on China. Ultimately, the report is a fascinating read on what the priorities are for the US in terms of intellectual protection (mainly pharmaceuticals and entertainment). It's also an interesting treasure trove of where to get pirated materials when wandering the markets of the Czech Republic or Buenos Aires. http://www.ustr.gov/Document_Library/Press_Releases/2008/April/USTR_Issues_2008_Special_301_Report.html
