James Delahunty
28 May 2007 21:25
The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) has urged leaders of the G8 to take bigger steps against counterfeiting and piracy. The ICC sent letters to the G8 leaders in advance of their Summit Meeting in Heiligendamm, Germany. The letter was signed by 23 CEOs and senior business executives. It included recommendations for immediate actions that could be taken by the G8 countries.
"ICC welcomes the importance the G8 has placed on this critical global issue, by keeping counterfeiting and piracy on the agenda for the past four summits and by setting up a working group on intellectual property rights," said Jean-René Fourtou, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Vivendi and Co-Chair of ICC's Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy (BASCAP) initiative.
Fourtou added: "It is now critical, however, that the words be turned to concrete actions by G8 governments to bring an end to the increasing damage being done by this illegal activity. Other government leaders watch the actions being taken by G8 countries, and we are asking the leaders of the G8 governments to take immediate steps to demonstrate their commitment to stop counterfeiting and piracy and to urgently take tougher measures that will serve as an example to the rest of the world."
ICC estimates that businesses lose a total of US$ 600 billion to counterfeiters each year, including fake products moving across borders as well as those produced and sold domestically and those traded on the Internet. In addition, this illegal activity generates enormous costs to the global economy, in areas such as employment, consumer health and safety, technology transfer, tax revenues and public finance and law enforcement.
The recommendations offered by the business men include...
"The magnitude of the costs and risks associated with counterfeiting and piracy can not be ignored, and the scope and scale of this global problem demands that governments view this as a priority and take decisive and ongoing actions," said Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, CEO of Nestlé. "There are many steps that can be taken immediately that will have an impact and demonstrate resolve to stop this problem, and the business leaders involved in BASCAP stand ready to assist in any way we can in working with government leaders on these actions."
- Abolish all known counterfeit and pirate markets in G8 countries, including Internet sites
- Prohibit transshipment of counterfeits through free trade zones
- Take the lead by endorsing World Customs Organization standards that set minimum performance standards, harmonize customs procedures and deter pirates from moving fake merchandise through countries with weak detection systems
- Take stock of funding, other resources, and capabilities to fight this scourge in G8 countries
- Strictly enforce laws against counterfeiting and adopt tough criminal sanctions and penalties that deter intellectual property theft