The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Global trade growth "pushes piracy up"

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Apr 26, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Global trade growth "pushes piracy up"

Staff Reporter

CHENNAI: Growth in global trade and technological revolution have led to an increase in Intellectual Property-related crimes, M. Rafeeque Ahmed, Chairman, FICCI, Tamil Nadu State Council, said on Wednesday.

The crimes relating to piracy and counterfeiting had increased manifold in global markets, as a result of which the government, businesses, society and consumers were losing billions of dollars, Mr. Ahmed said, addressing a two-day workshop held here on `Protection of Intellectual Property Rights.' He said the Customs and the police had a crucial role in combating counterfeiting and piracy.

The World Customs Organisation had created a strategic group, developed as a joint venture with international business sponsors.

The WCO Customs protocol empowered Customs authorities to initiate action either on complaints or suo motu, said A.K. Srivastava, Chief Commissioner of Customs, while inaugurating the workshop.

He said Customs officers could impound cargo suspected counterfeit or pirated. The seizure would be valid for 10 days, during which authorities should make a decision on the merits of the case. In some cases, the action of officials had turned out to be wrong.

Compensation

The affected party could demand compensation from the Customs. To guard against such contingencies, the protocol provided for Customs taking security or indemnity from the complainant.

P. Murari, former IAS officer and advisor to president of FICCI, said manufacturing and distributing spurious drugs was more heinous than selling pirated DVDs or books, as it would cause serious health problems.

To sensitise people, businessmen and entrepreneurs, the FICCI was organising programmes and seminars regularly.

Ian S. Ellis of the Office of the U.S. Coordinator for International Intellectual Property Enforcement and Alka Chawla, Faculty of Law, Delhi University, participated.

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