& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

China replies to threat of Kantor on intellectual property

Sanctions will harm US itself
BEIJING. Feb 7: China told the United States yesterday the threat of sanctions over intellectual property piracy did not frighten Its huge market and the main victim would be US business, reports Reuter.
However, a senior US trade official said in Hong Kong that China must act against copyright piracy, and not just promise action, to avert trade sanctions under a nearly year-old Slno-US antipiracy accord.
US pressure is mounting on China to do more to curb the pirating of foreign and domestic intellectual property under the landmark accord reached in February 1995 — a deal that averted billions of dollars in tit-for-tat sanctions.
US trade representative Mickey Kantor has resurrected the spectare of a pacific trade war by threatening one billion dollar or more in punitive import tariffs in coming months unless the accord is implemented, the New York Times said on Sunday.
The threat of Kantor will have no impact on China be cause the China market is a highly competitive market. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Shen Guofang told a news briefing.
If the US side intends to impose sanctions against China It will only end up harming the business interest of fne United States It-
self." Shen said.
A team of US inspectors was due in China this week to assess compliance with last year's accord, which includes pledges by Beijing to dismantle barriers to China's intellectual property market.
The team was expected to enter through southern provinces, suggesting it. planned to inspect some of the'30 or so compact disc
plants in that region alleged still to be exporting bootleg recordings despite Beijing's year-long crackdown.
The US official in Hong Kong said the purpose of the visit was to discuss what progress China had made, not to negotiate.
"I will not give them any more timetables, we re not interested in hearing
promises, we re only interested in seeing action, only action at this point is going to make a difference." the official, who asked not'be Identified, said in Hong Kong on Tuesday.
If not, Kantor is on record as saying the United States will take decisive action," he said.
With 20 days to the first anniversary of the accord s initialling, the official said industry losses due to piracy were higher now than the 866 million dollars estimated last year.
Some 34 compact disc factories with production ca pacify of 90 million discs, in a market capable of absorbing Just five million, were nearly all Involved in pirate produc tton. he said
The United States wanted China to revoke the business licence of CD plants engaged In piracy destroy their equ ipment and products, and prosecute those responsible.
China also needed to strengthen border controls to block trade In pirated goods and permit unproved market access for legitimate US computer soltwaie movies and other copy righted goods as It promised in the accord he said
But there was no tlmetatile for sanctions nor had any dec ision been made on what or how many goods might be targeted and Washington al ill hoped lo be able to avoid ata h action