More Evidence Needed for China Piracy Case

The United States needs to gather more evidence before it can bring an international trade case against China for the piracy and counterfeiting of U.S. goods, a top U.S. official said.

U.S. music, movie and software companies who estimate they lost more than $2.5 billion in China last year from the sale of illegal copies of their products have urged the Bush administration to take the first step toward a case by asking Beijing for consultations at the World Trade Organization.

Outgoing U.S. Trade Representative Robert B. Zoellick said intellectual property theft was the “No. 1 item” on the U.S. trade agenda with China. But he also told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that the United States had more homework to do before bringing a formal complaint at the WTO.