Stepping up the war on piracy: business invited to join the fight.

Mexico's government is turning up the pressure in the battle on intellectual property violations, pledging to fight a war on all fronts with the participation of all levels of society. Carlos Aguilar Suarez, Mexico's Deputy Attorney for Special Investigation for Federal Crimes, told an AMCHAM Business Round Table in late June that "this crime phenomenon is not allowing Mexico to develop as it should--it's that simple." Piracy touches nearly all sectors of commerce, from CDs and DVDs to pharmaceutical patents and computer programs, signifying that any country that wishes to trade competitively on the global stage cannot afford to ignore it. "Protecting intellectual property rights in Mexico is especially important for the United States and my government due to the huge amount of trade between our two countries," said U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Antonio O. Garza, Jr. "Violation of intellectual property rights doesn't only affect the countries involved, but is also vital for competitiveness in Mexico."

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Aguilar Suarez, who has served in this capacity since April, recognized the huge task ahead of him, but was anxious to push forward and get more sectors involved. "The committee working to combat piracy is composed of the various levels of government, the federal executive, private sector and organizations, who will work at the federal, state and municipal levels of government to propose, at the latest by December, to take the next step forward in the fight against piracy," he said.

"All sectors of society need to cooperate to fight this problem that is taking away jobs from our people," Suarez said, adding that educating families and running campaigns in schools to encourage people not to buy pirated goods would be part of the new initiative. He also reassured the businessmen present that next year's presidential election would not distract attention from the task. "I know that it is common that with the change of government every six years, plans often do not move ahead, but I feel that so many sectors have an interest in this that we can propel it forward." The U.S. ambassador agreed that unity is essential in advancing this cause. "There have been improvements, but there is still much to do. Achieving protection of intellectual property rights requires a coordinated effort from all involved," he said.

Aguilar Suarez said it was important to attack the problem at its very root, and not simply in the obvious manifestation of street vendors. "We can confiscate 10 million CDs and the same merchant will put them back on the street the next day. So it is important to do this, but also to attack the base of the pyramid--the suppliers and manufacturers, the people putting the products out there," he said. And he concluded with an invitation to the gathered businessmen. "My door is always open. We are open to what you ask of us."