Nintendo Pushes For Trade Sanctions

Metal Mario · 02-15-2003, 10:29 AM

*Source: Planet Gamecube

Nintendo of America Inc. is seeking assistance from the United States Trade Representative in Washington D.C. to increase efforts to combat "serious weaknesses in the intellectual property regimes" in China, Paraguay and Mexico, all of which are greatly impacting Nintendo business worldwide.

Nintendo, its publishers, and developers are being injured by the continued manufacture and sale of counterfeit Nintendo products resulting in nearly $650 million in lost sales in 2002.

"China remains the world's principal site for manufacturing of pirated cartridge-based video games, and Paraguay is a major transshipment point for regional distribution of pirated goods in the Western Hemisphere," explains Jodi Daugherty, director, anti-piracy, Nintendo of America. "In Mexico, Nintendo has been battling with a pirate over its famous Game Boy trademark for 10 years."

Nintendo is asking the Chinese government to pursue criminal prosecutions and impose sanctions against the counterfeiters. Last year, Nintendo confiscated nearly one million pieces of pirated products and video game components in China from 135 retail and manufacturing facilities, almost all in the Guangdong Province. Also, many of the items were destined for export across the globe to Europe, Latin America and North America.

Nintendo's commitment to eradicating piracy in Paraguay is viewed as being more important now than ever, as reports from The Washington Post (October 2001) and CNN (November 2002) link pirating crimes to financing of the international terrorist organization Hezbollah. Nintendo is urging the Paraguay government to renew the bilateral Memorandum of Understanding agreed upon in 1998. More than 4.4 million illegal Nintendo products have been confiscated in Paraguay since the bilateral trade agreement was signed -- the greatest number of infringing Nintendo products seized in the Western Hemisphere.

Counterfeit Nintendo games also are readily available in most Mexican metropolitan areas. Two months ago, during the area's largest recent seizure, the Mexican Attorney General captured 20,000 pirated Game Boy Advance cartridges in Manzanillo. Relying heavily on border enforcement and assistance from both Mexican and U.S. Customs authorities, Nintendo is calling for important changes within Customs to control corruption and toughen penalties for offenders. Nintendo also seeks to resolve a trademark dispute that has been languishing in the Mexican court system for over a decade.

Additionally, Nintendo cites concerns of protecting its intellectual property rights in Chile, the European Union, Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, and Venezuela.

02-15-2003, 09:13 PM

I'm surprised the EU is listed there.

Link The Survivor · 02-15-2003, 11:08 PM

Nintendo of Europe purposely said that as an excuse for their poor decisions and the like.^_~

02-15-2003, 10:29 AM	#1
Metal Mario Game Brain Join Date: Dec 1999 Posts: 14,262 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Points: 8,123.00 Bank: 0.00 Total Points: 8,123.00 Donate	*Source: Planet Gamecube Nintendo of America Inc. is seeking assistance from the United States Trade Representative in Washington D.C. to increase efforts to combat "serious weaknesses in the intellectual property regimes" in China, Paraguay and Mexico, all of which are greatly impacting Nintendo business worldwide. Nintendo, its publishers, and developers are being injured by the continued manufacture and sale of counterfeit Nintendo products resulting in nearly $650 million in lost sales in 2002. "China remains the world's principal site for manufacturing of pirated cartridge-based video games, and Paraguay is a major transshipment point for regional distribution of pirated goods in the Western Hemisphere," explains Jodi Daugherty, director, anti-piracy, Nintendo of America. "In Mexico, Nintendo has been battling with a pirate over its famous Game Boy trademark for 10 years." Nintendo is asking the Chinese government to pursue criminal prosecutions and impose sanctions against the counterfeiters. Last year, Nintendo confiscated nearly one million pieces of pirated products and video game components in China from 135 retail and manufacturing facilities, almost all in the Guangdong Province. Also, many of the items were destined for export across the globe to Europe, Latin America and North America. Nintendo's commitment to eradicating piracy in Paraguay is viewed as being more important now than ever, as reports from The Washington Post (October 2001) and CNN (November 2002) link pirating crimes to financing of the international terrorist organization Hezbollah. Nintendo is urging the Paraguay government to renew the bilateral Memorandum of Understanding agreed upon in 1998. More than 4.4 million illegal Nintendo products have been confiscated in Paraguay since the bilateral trade agreement was signed -- the greatest number of infringing Nintendo products seized in the Western Hemisphere. Counterfeit Nintendo games also are readily available in most Mexican metropolitan areas. Two months ago, during the area's largest recent seizure, the Mexican Attorney General captured 20,000 pirated Game Boy Advance cartridges in Manzanillo. Relying heavily on border enforcement and assistance from both Mexican and U.S. Customs authorities, Nintendo is calling for important changes within Customs to control corruption and toughen penalties for offenders. Nintendo also seeks to resolve a trademark dispute that has been languishing in the Mexican court system for over a decade. Additionally, Nintendo cites concerns of protecting its intellectual property rights in Chile, the European Union, Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, and Venezuela.

02-15-2003, 09:13 PM	#2
Koga Guest Posts: n/a Points: 0 Bank: 0 Total Points: 0 Donate	I'm surprised the EU is listed there.

02-15-2003, 11:08 PM	#3
Link The Survivor Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: 日本の名古屋 Gender: Posts: 5,607 Thanks: 1 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Points: 2,376.99 Bank: 500.00 Total Points: 2,876.99 Donate	Nintendo of Europe purposely said that as an excuse for their poor decisions and the like.^_~