China Rejects US Piracy Claims As "Groundless"

eldavojohn writes "Earlier this month, a United States piracy list fingered China, Russia, and Canada as the first, second and third worst governments (respectively) for enforcing copyright policy in the world. China's Foreign Ministry has rejected these claims as 'groundless' just before meeting with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner on Monday and Tuesday in Beijing to address copyright policy. The official Chinese statement read, 'The involved US Congress members should respect the fact and stop making groundless accusations against China.' The plan nevertheless remains to use the visit to pressure China into overhauling its failed attempts to curb piracy, since software piracy in China appears to be a social norm, with the Chinese government possibly even leading by example."

Comments

Not Canada

[Das Auge]

I can't really speak for China or Russia, but Canada is no more a haven for pirating than the US. What makes Canada a "problem" is that they have some of the best laws in the world regarding the privacy of its citizens. So that means that a corporation can't just go to an ISP and demand information on a random user and have their account suspended without due process. So Canada's problem is that it values people over corporations.

Oh, and for the record, I'm an American, not Canadian; and yes, I am jealous.

Re:As compared to what?

[Daengbo]

I don't get how Canada can be in the top three while Thailand isn't Thailand basically has the same views on copyright as China and Russia do, but Canadians pay a "copyright tax" on all blank media, which goes to the media industries. The media industries are being paid. What's the problem. (I'm not Canadian.)

Re:As compared to what?

[commodore64_love]

Flamebait? He stated the truth. But he also left out this part: The US is so vehement to protects its music, movies, and so forth because, like Rome at the end of its life, the country has nothing left to offer the world except entertainment. The US wants to protect that cashflow, else it would go bankrupt.

Re:As compared to what?

[ultranova]

MAYBE, but in your country you walk a block to the local DVD store and choose from a selection of thousands of pirated DVDs, each selling for the equivalent of 1.25 USD per disc?

In my country, people download pirated copies from the Internet for free. They will in China too, as Internet continues to propagate and the Great Firewall continues to be bypassed in more and more effective ways.

Technically these shops are breaking the law, but the relevant laws are not enforced.

And why would they? Enforce copyright law -> send money to Hollywood, don't enforce copyright -> money stays home. It acts as an effective toll barrier, helping Chinese economy grow. We should learn from that, not condemn it.

Re:As compared to what?

[Ralph Spoilsport]

It's not as simple as that. you have to look at what the USA makes.

TVs? nope. (not on the map)

Radios? nope. (not on the map)

Computers? nope. (very distant 5th)

Refrigerators? nope. (not even on the map)

Steel? nope. (distant 4th)

Automobiles? nope. (distant 4th)

Trucks? nope. (distant 3rd)

Furniture? Nope.

So, if the USA basically doesn't make anything of significant value in quantity, HOW is it #2 in manufacturing?

Weapons.

Number #1 with a BULLET.

The USA's biggest industry is the exercise of its imperial reach and the development of devices that do not produce wealth (outside the imperial model of invasion and theft), which means that its method of acquiring resources has met the law of diminishing returns and is in a state every empire faces prior to its collapse. (Tainter, Joseph A. The Collapse of Complex Societies. Cambridge: Cambridge University, 1988.)

Don't get all huffy at me, I'm just reporting the news...

RS