Long arm of the law to be extended overseas?

With the news that losses due to software piracy have risen in 2004, the US Senate this week warned against the dangers of allowing copyright violations overseas to continue unchecked. A recent US Trade Representative report found that Russia and China headed the "priority watch list" of copyright offenses, with Brazil, Israel and Indonesia included among the top offenders.

Orrin Hatch, the Utah Republican who chairs the Senate copyright subcommittee, made one of the most ominous statements to date about what might happen if unfettered piracy continues. "Before Russia enters the (World Trade Organization), many of us will have to be convinced that the Russian government is serious about cracking down on the theft of intellectual property," Hatch said during a hearing.