MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Chile on the intellectual property “priority watch list”

For the second year in a row, Chile was placed on the intellectual property “priority watch list” released Friday in the US Trade Representative (USTR) annual “Special 301” report, which looks at intellectual property protection by US trading partners.

Chile's failure to act effectively against continuing piracy of books, music, movies, and software are cited as justification for Chile's inclusion on the list. Estimated losses from piracy in Chile reached US$127.6 million in 2007, up from US$112.6 million in 2006, according to a study by the International Intellectual Property Alliance. The lack of legislation governing pharmaceutical patents is also a factor. According to the USTR report, "the underlying weaknesses in Chile's legal regime require resolution in order for Chile to fully implement its obligations under the U.S.-Chile Free Trade Agreement." The USTR list also included India, China, Russia, Argentina, Israel, Pakistan, Thailand, and Venezuela. The Chilean response to the report has been mixed, but acknowledges the need for improvement. The Chilean-North American Chamber of Commerce recognized that "despite the fact that Chile has advanced in these matters, there is broad consensus that we must continue to improve institutions." José Manuel Cousiño, the vice president of the Chilean Pharmaceutical Chamber, said the government "has made no progress in pharmaceutical intellectual property rights, which is why Chile is only partially in compliance with this free trade agreement." The Santiago Times