U.S. reopens issue of piracy with China

Article Abstract:

The US publicly warns China to stop piracy of US software, movies and music or face the possible imposition of trade sanctions. The US loses $800 million annually to the illegal copies created by 29 factories in China, and an accord reached in 1995 required the Chinese government to end the piracy. China responded by conducting some 3,200 raids on those who sell the pirated material on street corners, but the factories have remained largely untouched. Widespread rumors in China claim that government officials and their families have financial stakes in the factories. In other instances, provincial governments simply ignore instructions from Beijing. A few factories that had stopped making CD-ROMs for a short time resumed manufacturing, creating high-end disks with freshly released software programs. The $1 billion in sanctions were originally proposed before the accord was reached and would create a 100% tariff on Chinese goods.

China, Prevention, Government trade agreement and tariff regulation, Software piracy

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U.S. firm regrets sales to Russian arms lab

Article Abstract:

Silicon Graphics has stated its regrets in shipping two small supercomputer systems to a Russian laboratory in Jan 1996, calling the sale a serious judgemental error. The laboratory, Chelyabinsk-70, which designs nuclear weapons and runs computer simulations of nuclear explosions, had attempted to purchase similar computers from IBM and Hewlett-Packard. Viktor Mikhailov, Russia's minister of atomic energy, mentioned the sale in a speech saying they would be used to simulate nuclear explosions. The speech alerted the US Commerce Department of the sale. The Department is trying to determine who is responsible for the sale. The possible parties include the Russian Government; Catalyst Silicon Solutions, a Russian systems integrator that put the system together, or Silicon Graphics Moscow office, which is operated by Russians.

Electronic computers, Electronic Computer Manufacturing, Computers & Auxiliary Equip, Computer industry, Company legal issue, Cases, International aspects, Silicon Graphics Inc., SGI, Nuclear weapons, Computer simulation, Export controls, Government export policy and export regulation

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Russian deal limits exports of cheap steel; but rollback to levels of '96-'97 satisfies few

Article Abstract:

In an effort to slow the flood of steel priced below cost coming from Russia to the U.S., the Commerce Dept. announced an agreement that it hopes will appease the U.S. steel industry "without bringing Russia to its knees." The agreement on Russia's part is that it will reduce the amount of steel it ships to this country to levels shipped in 1996 and the first 6 mos. of 1997, just before that country's economic slide.

United States, Iron and Steel Mills, International economic relations, Blast furnaces and steel mills, Russia, Carbon Steel, Economic aspects, Abstract, International relations, Steel industry, Dumping (International trade), United States. Department of Commerce

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