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U.S. Puts 12 Nations On Watch For Piracy

Posted by Zonk on from the colbert-angry-wants-board-back dept.

ColinPL writes with a link to an AP article about a public scolding the US has given China, Russia, and several other nations. Failure to 'sufficiently protect' American copyrights is the cause of the Bush administration's ire, and has resulted in these countries showing up on a 'priority watch list' that could eventually lead to economic sanctions. "In addition to Russia and China, the 10 countries placed on the priority watch list were Argentina, Chile, Egypt, India, Israel, Lebanon, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine and Venezuela. In elevating Thailand to the priority watch list, the administration said it was concerned by a range of issues including a 'deteriorating protection for patents and copyrights.' Thailand is currently in a dispute with international drug companies including Abbott Laboratories of the United States over the cost of drugs to fight AIDS and other diseases. The Thai government in January issued compulsory licenses allowing the use of much cheaper generic versions of two leading drugs in Thailand."

8 of 429 comments (clear)

  1. Can't get to the article.... by gardyloo · · Score: 5, Funny

    ... anyone have a .torrent of it?

  2. Let's be honest by halivar · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This isn't just the Bush administration. If you vote for either of the Big Two, the person you voted for has been bought and paid for by the MAFIAA, and they are in full support of sending the copyright Gestapo after law-breakers worldwide.

    1. Re:Let's be honest by morgan_greywolf · · Score: 5, Informative

      This isn't just the Bush administration. If you vote for either of the Big Two, the person you voted for has been bought and paid for by the MAFIAA, and they are in full support of sending the copyright Gestapo after law-breakers worldwide.


      Except that they can't do much. Sure, the U.S. government can impose economic sanctions on non-compliant countries, but that only takes you so far. The U.S. Constitution requires that the federal government respect the sovereignty of foreign nations. U.S. courts won't typically touch a copyright infringement case if the infringement occurs overseas.

      --
      My blog
    2. Re:Let's be honest by jimicus · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The U.S. Constitution requires that the federal government respect the sovereignty of foreign nations.

      That's odd, because I could have sworn Iraq was a foreign nation with its own sovreign government until a few years ago.

    3. Re:Let's be honest by owlnation · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Except that they can't do much. Sure, the U.S. government can impose economic sanctions on non-compliant countries, but that only takes you so far.
      True, and certainly in China's case - who will this hurt exactly? What percentage of US goods are in fact manufactured in China? Quite a large one I'll bet, certainly a significant one. Similarly, Turkey doesn't really need the US, but the US really does need Turkey as a base.

      The fact is, speaking as a European, nobody outside the US gives a damn about US laws. In fact, we find attempts like this to assert themselves legally, to be rather lame and sad. It's just hot air and rhetoric for the voters back home I guess

      Anyway, in the highly improbable event that any of these countries paid any attention the the US on piracy and actually stopped it, there's still be many other countries to which pirates could easily and successfully move to. There's also plenty of piracy from within US borders too.

      The only way to beat piracy is to include fair use in copyright - assuming copyright needs to exist at all.

      The *IAA needs to develop new business models or simply die - those are the only two choices available.
  3. USA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Dear United STATES of AMERICA.

    You have your own part of the world. Please stay within it's boundaries and spend the saved time READING Wikipedia's article on law. You DO NOT and SHALL NOT ever control other nations laws. You cannot even abide by the very laws you were founded on these days, so why do you expect others to do the same?

    Lots of love
    Rest of the world.

  4. I see Canada isn't on there... by Dorkmaster+Flek · · Score: 5, Informative

    Could that have anything to do with the fact that we just caved to US lobbyist pressure to buy some goodwill?

    --
    I like to think of online DRM as something akin to a college -- you pay for lessons until you learn something.
  5. Re:That told them! by Cathoderoytube · · Score: 5, Funny

    I think the reason Canada and the UK aren't on the list is because we're close neighbors with the US. In Canada's case we actually touch them. I'm not a political type person but I have an idea it would be bad for relations if the US went out and said 'Canada! you're on our list!' then we'd say 'Which list is that? The one for the terrorists, the beef, the lumber, the drugs or the flying squirrels?' then the US would say 'This is a new list! For not protecting our copyrights!' then we'd say 'Copyrights.. That's a new one is it?' then the US would say 'YES! We just made it! And you're on it! Right there below Venezuela!' then we'd say 'Wait what? We're still talking about copyrights here right? This list looks an awful lot like it has something to do with soccer. I think your list is wrong, we're more of a hockey country' then the US would say 'That's not true, your woman's team is quite good'. Then we'd say 'Well I suppose, but the fact of the matter remains we're really not known for our soccer' then the US would say 'You do have a valid point, we'll take you off the list.. '

    So, uhh there you go.

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