Page:Special 301 Report 2009.pdf/40

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  • were shut down, but suspensions and further evidence-gathering were delayed by angry responses from vendors.
  • China Small Commodities Market (Yiwu, China). The China Small Commodities Market in Yiwu reportedly sells approximately 410,000 different items, mostly small consumer goods. Industry has cited the market as a center for wholesaling of infringing goods. Officials in Yiwu have met repeatedly with U.S. Government officials and stressed their work to improve IPR enforcement. Industry confirms that enforcement in Yiwu has improved. Continued improvement is needed, particularly in the area of criminal enforcement.
  • Gorbushka and Rubin Trade Center and Savelovskiy Market (Moscow, Russia). Industry representatives report that piracy problems persist in these markets, though the situation has improved at the Gorbushka and Rubin Trade Center. In Moscow, illegal optical discs are still available, but less overtly displayed than in previous years, at the upscale Gorbushka consumer electronics market. Pirated goods are more widely and openly available at the Savelovskiy electronics market in Moscow.
  • Tri-Border Region (Paraguay, Argentina, and Brazil). The Tri-Border Region of Paraguay, Argentina, and Brazil has a longstanding reputation as a hotbed of piracy and counterfeiting of many products. The U.S. Government is funding a training project through which U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials will train prosecutors, police, and customs officials from the Tri-Border Region to combat intellectual property crime. In Paraguay, Ciudad del Este remains a hub for pirate activities, with the majority of the optical disc manufacturing plants in the country located in this city. The amount of optical media produced in Paraguay significantly exceeds possible local use, and most of the production is legally exported or smuggled into Brazil. While the use of new surveillance tactics, like the use of helicopters, have somewhat improved enforcement efforts in this region, smugglers have reacted by shifting their activities to more vulnerable entry points into Brazil.
  • Tepito, Plaza Meave, Eje Central, Lomas Verdes, and Pericoapa Bazaar (Mexico City); Simitrio-La Cuchilla (Puebla, Mexico); San Juan de Dios (Guadalajara); and Las Pulgas (Monterrey). Informal markets selling pirated audio-visual materials and counterfeit name-brand goods are widespread and well-entrenched in Mexico. By some estimates, there are at least 80 such markets located throughout Mexico. In Mexico City, Tepito remains the main warehousing and distribution center for infringing products and hosts scores of retail stalls. Past police raids on such markets are often conducted only at night to avoid violent confrontations that are common during daylight raids. The Office of the Attorney General (PGR) is sometimes accompanied by other enforcement agencies on these raids, allowing for charges of IPR infringement, safety violations, or tax evasion to be added to the criminal charges brought by the PGR.
  • Czech Border Markets (Czech Republic). Hundreds of open air market stalls are notorious for selling pirated and counterfeit products near the Czech borders with Germany and Austria, including at the notorious Asia Dragon Bazaar in Cheb City.

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