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January 8, 1997

Chairman of the GSP Subcommittee

of the Trade Policy Staff Committee

Office of the U.S. Trade Representative

600 17th Street NW, Room 517

Washington, DC 20506

Re:Rebuttal Comments on the Review of Panama’s Eligibility as a GSP Beneficiary Developing Country

Case: Panama: 012-CP-95

To the Subcommittee:

The International Intellectual Property Alliance (IIPA) takes this opportunity to supplement our previous filings in this proceeding (see our comments of October 29, 1996 and December 11, 1996) by updating the Subcommittee on the estimated trade losses due to copyright piracy in Panama in 1995. 

On December 18, 1996,  the Business Software Alliance, an IIPA member, released its global software piracy estimates for 1995.  For Panama, BSA reported that the estimated level of piracy was 77%.   Estimated losses due to the piracy of business applications software was $7,330,000; this statistic, however, includes losses for non-U.S. companies. The estimated losses for U.S. companies is therefore somewhat less.   We  will forward the U.S. loss statistic to the Subcommittee when it becomes available in the near future.    

Sincerely,

Maria Strong

Vice President and Associate General Counsel

IIPA