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<TITLE>Brazil to Break Patents on U.S. Films, Books, Drugs</TITLE>
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<FONT FACE="Palatino"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:18pt'>Where there is will, there is a way...<BR>
<HR ALIGN=CENTER SIZE="3" WIDTH="100%"></SPAN></FONT><FONT SIZE="1"><FONT FACE="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12pt'><B>Brazil to Break Patents on U.S. Films, Books, Drugs (Update2)<BR>
</B></SPAN><SPAN STYLE='font-size:10.5pt'><a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&sid=a.VF70UEOmVM">http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&sid=a.VF70UEOmVM</a> <BR>
<FONT COLOR="#006B99"><B>B</B></FONT>y<FONT COLOR="#006B99"><B> </B></FONT>Iuri Dantas<BR>
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March 15 (Bloomberg) -- Brazil will seek to break intellectual property rights on U.S.-made prescription drugs, music, books, software and movies in a bid to force the U.S. government to end cotton subsidies that violate global trade rules.<BR>
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Brazil’s government submitted a list of products that may have royalties, copyrights and patents suspended as part of $829 million in retaliatory sanctions authorized by the Wo<FONT COLOR="#006B99"><B>rld Trade Organization, </B></FONT>according to a st<FONT COLOR="#006B99"><B>atement p</B></FONT>ublished today in the country’s official gazette.<BR>
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“These measures don’t change policies or our commitment to protection of intellectual property,” C<FONT COLOR="#006B99"><B>arlos Marcio Cosendey,</B></FONT> head of Foreign Ministry’s economic department told reporters in Brasilia. “These are temporary measures aimed to force a change in the U.S.”<BR>
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The Geneva-based WTO in August ruled that Brazil may impose annual sanctions on U.S. <FONT COLOR="#006B99"><B>imports</B></FONT> because the cotton subsidies violate trade regulations. Of the amount awarded, Brazil will adopt penalties on intellectual property rights totaling $239 million this year.<BR>
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Brazil and U.S. still have room to negotiate an agreement to avoid the application of the sanctions, Foreign Minister<FONT COLOR="#006B99"><B> Celso Amori</B></FONT>m said last week. President<FONT COLOR="#006B99"><B> Lula Inacio Lula da Silv</B></FONT>a blamed the “fighting” over the agricultural subsidies on the U.S.’s refusal to sign an accord during the Doha round of global trade talks.<BR>
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“We want to show the U.S. that it doesn’t matter if you are big or small, or how much money you have as a nation,” Lula said on March 10. “We all want to be respected and to be treated fairly.”<BR>
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No “concrete offer” was made by U.S. trade officials during meetings with their Brazilian counterpart, Cosendey said. The U.S. government asked for more time before engaging in talks as coordination with the Congress is needed on agricultural subsidies, Cosendey said.<BR>
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If Brazil carries out its threat to infringe on intellectual property rights it will be the first country to cross-retaliate for practices that hurt trade of goods, Cosendey said.<BR>
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The list of sanctions published today will be open to public consultation for 20 days before taking effect, according to the statement. Patents on veterinary and biotechnology products will also be affected by the measures announced today.<BR>
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In addition to breaking intellectual property rights, Brazil will impose higher tariffs worth $591 million on 102 U.S.-made goods, including ketchup, wheat, chewing gum, cars and boats, according to a list published last week.<BR>
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To contact the reporter on this story: Iuri Dantas in Brasilia Newsr<FONT COLOR="#006B99"><B>oom at idantas@bloomb</B></FONT>e<I>rg.net<BR>
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Last Updated: March 15, 2010 1</I>2:54 EDT <BR>
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</SPAN></FONT></FONT><FONT FACE="Palatino"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:18pt'>Victor Menotti<BR>
Executive Director<BR>
International Forum on Globalization <BR>
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Email: <a href="vmenotti@ifg.org">vmenotti@ifg.org</a><BR>
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