U.S. chides China, Russia for piracy in annual list
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Piracy and counterfeiting of American goods remain serious problems in China and Russia, despite some progress in both countries, the U.S. Trade Representative's office said on Friday.
"Pirates and counterfeiters don't just steal ideas; they steal jobs, and too often they threaten our health and safety," U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab said in a statement on the agency's annual report on countries with the worst record on protecting intellectual property rights.
U.S. music, movie, software and book publishers estimate U.S. companies lost at least $30 billion to $35 billion in sales around the world because of piracy last year.
The international trade in fake goods ranging from pharmaceuticals to auto parts pushes losses higher.
USTR placed nine countries, including Russia and China, on its Priority Watch List for worst offenders.
It warned that Russia's failure to complete steps required under a bilateral agreement to curb piracy was blocking Moscow's bid to join the World Trade Organization.
Others placed on the worst offenders list were Argentina, Chile, India, Israel, Pakistan, Thailand and Venezuela.
The agency put 36 other countries on its lower level Watch List.
Those were: Algeria, Belarus, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Czech Republic, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, Indonesia, Italy, Jamaica, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mexico, Norway, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, South Korea, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.
USTR said Paraguay will continue to be subject to special monitoring under a long-standing agreement that established special objectives and actions for addressing intellectual property right concerns in that country.
(Editing by Mohammad Zargham)
