Could Europe be next on Corporations' hit list?

[La_Serpiente]

Just when you thought that Europe was a safe haven? Guess again. It looks like they are the next targets of some major US corporations.

They are now being targeted by Music Companies AND Pharmaceutical Companies.

Here is the link:

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/20/business/worldbusiness/20lobby.html?pagewanted=1

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BRUSSELS, Oct. 19 - In an effort to fight product counterfeiting and piracy, the European Union is preparing to enact a sweeping intellectual property law that critics say is ill-conceived and tilted heavily in favor of copyright and patent holders.

The proposal would go far beyond existing laws in Europe and the United States by classifying copyright violations and patent infringements, even some unwitting ones, as crimes punishable by prison terms.

Lawyers who have studied a draft of the proposed law say that not only could a teenager who downloaded a music file be sent to jail under it; so too could managers of the Internet service provider that the teenager happened to use, whether they knew what the teenager was doing or not.

The proposed law would also make it easier for drug manufacturers to forestall generic competition by effectively stretching the duration of their patents, the critics say, and even the makers of replacement auto parts could face prosecution if they sell their wares to consumers


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Greg Perry, director general of the European Generic Medicines Association, said the proposed law would give the big drug companies "the best tool they could have ever wished for" to fight off generics.

By forcing makers of generic drugs to win court permission to bring their versions to market, the big patented-drug makers "could use this proposed law to extend their monopoly by stretching their patent a further 18 months or so beyond its expiry date," Mr. Perry said. "We agree that patents should be respected, but we can't support what would end up allowing for an abuse of the legal system to prevent legitimate competition."


(click on link for rest)

[Hieronymus]

1. At least they

provide healthcare and some coverage for prescriptions.
France is rated number one in the world for healthcare by the WHO.:hi: