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New
global business initiative to fight counterfeiting and piracy
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| ICC
Chairman Jean-René Fourtou: "Counterfeiting and piracy
are among the greatest threats to business today" |
Paris,
26 November 2004
- ICC, the world business organization, today launched BASCAP - Business
Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy.
Before a gathering
of some 70 business executives from 14 countries, ICC Chairman and Vivendi
Universal CEO Jean-René Fourtou said the new initiative would "take
the fight against intellectual property theft to a new level".
"Counterfeiting and piracy are among the greatest threats to business
today," said Mr Fourtou. "There is currently no-one coordinating
the fight across industries and across national borders. ICC, the world's
only truly global business organization, is uniquely placed to lead this
fight."
Mr Fourtou, CEO of
Vivendi Universal, will form a group of up to 20 CEOs to help lead the
initiative.
It is estimated that counterfeiting and piracy costs industry US$600 billion
a year. Not only does business lose out, but costs are ultimately passed
to consumers, governments are deprived of tax revenues, jobs are lost
and much research and innovation never happens.
"Contrary to
popular belief, the problems of counterfeiting and piracy are not simply
limited to handbags and CDs," said Mr Fourtou. "This is a problem
which affects all industry sectors, in all corners of the world.
"We are talking
about theft. The theft of intellectual property is a criminal act - and
we intend to do all we can to fight it."
Mr Fourtou said counterfeiting
and piracy also had serious health and safety implications.
Citing figures from
the World Health Organization, he said that up to 10 percent of all pharmaceuticals
in the world were fake.
"Then there are
fake spare car-parts," he added. "As much as 10% of car parts
sold in the European Union are believed to be counterfeit. And we are
increasingly seeing reconditioned aircraft components, passed off as new
with fake certificates of authentication."
Mr Fourtou added that
recent intelligence from Interpol indicated that organized crime and terrorists
were increasingly turning to counterfeiting and piracy to fund their activities.
ICC Secretary General
Maria Livanos Cattaui said BASCAP would complement already existing business
initiatives to fight counterfeiting and piracy.
"With BASCAP we intend to leverage the many other business initiatives
that are focussed sectorally and nationally into a cross-sectoral, global
campaign," said Mrs Cattaui.
She said BASCAP will
concentrate its efforts on mobilizing business, educating consumers and
working with governments on the enforcement of intellectual property legislation.
For further information
contact:
Mary Kelly, Communications Director
Tel: +33 (0)1 49 53 29 87
Email: Click here to send a mail
Click
here for fu
ll speech by Jean-René
Fourtou
Click
here for further information on Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting
and Piracy (BASCAP)
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