The Interactive Digital Software Association (IDSA), a trade
association representing US computer and video game publishers,
will tell the US Government today that trade sanctions should be
threatened against more than 50 countries for their failure to
adequately protect intellectual property rights in accord with
international obligations.
"The worldwide growth of the US game software industry is
especially remarkable when you consider that it has largely
occurred in only four markets: North America, Western Europe,
Australia/New Zealand, and Japan. But there are at least 100 other
countries around the globe where there is virtually no legitimate
market for our products due to rampant piracy," said IDSA president
Doug Lowenstein. "It is no exaggeration to say that the growth of
the US video game business is limitless if we can reduce piracy in
these untapped markets to incidental levels."
The IDSA will report that estimates of losses to piracy in
fourteen of the most problematic countries reveal over $1.9 billion
lost to the industry due to the prevalence of pirate product in
those markets. For example, losses in Korea and China - where there
is a growing popularity of PC and console games and a rapidly
expanding hardware base - combine to total about half of the $1.9
billion.
US Trade Representatives have the authority to impose trade
sanctions following an investigation and consultation period. US
Trade Representative Robert Zoellick recently announced the
imposition of prohibitive duties on approximately $75 million worth
of metals, footwear, and other imports from Ukraine resulting from
its failure to curtail optical media piracy. The increased duties
went into effect on 23rd January, 2002.
