Counterfeits threaten economy, culture - envoy

US Ambassador Mark Green has said that in a world where ideas form common currency, the piracy of intellectual property rights may easily erode a country�s economy and its cultural identity.

The envoy was giving closing remarks during the Regional Intellectual Rights Conference which took place in Dar es Salaam.
�Weak intellectual property rights protection makes it nearly impossible for artists, investors, and creators to have rights over the use of their creations,� Green said.

He said those who infringed upon property rights had no incentive to meet standards or ensure the quality of their products.
Green said: Counterfeit products can be deadly. In Niger in 1995, more than 2,500 people died when they were inoculated with counterfeit meningitis vaccines.

He added that in the United States in early 2004, a man pleaded guilty to selling counterfeit pesticides needed to control mosquitoes, while in China, the authorities attributed the deaths of dozens of children to fake infant formula.