Hollywood has urged the Bush administration to redouble its efforts to stop piracy in foreign markets, even if that means withdrawing trade benefits or imposing economic sanctions.
In a wide-ranging report filed Friday with the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), the Intl. Intellectual Property Alliance (IIPA) said that organized criminal syndicates dealing in the manufacture and distribution of pirated DVDs and CDs are on the rise at different points around the globe. Members of the IIPA include the Motion Picture Assn. of America (MPAA), the Recording Industry Assn. of America (RIAA (news - web sites)) and a number of other Hollywood, publishing and software trade groups.
In particular, MPAA president Jack Valenti wants the Bush administration to keep close tabs on piracy in Malaysia, Taiwan and Thailand, three of the world's largest exporters of renegade DVDs.
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