Peter Hannaford, influential commentator and long-term senior advisor to President Ronald Reagan, urges Ukraine to adopt corrective legislation to combat piracy, since U.S. trade sanctions would likely negatively impact the nascent democracy's foreign direct investment

WASHINGTON, July 23, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is being released by the US-Ukraine Observer:

Long-time senior advisor to President Ronald Reagan, Peter Hannaford has warned that U.S. trade sanctions against Ukraine could seriously impact Ukraine's foreign direct investment.  Writing for the leading conservative publication, The American Spectator, Hannaford writes:  "The [United States Trade Representative] report contends that the Ukrainian government has not cracked down on online pirate websites — such as ExtraTorrent.com — and that the government itself has been using unlicensed software. The Ukrainian government admits to some use of such software; however, it is moving a new law through the parliament (No. 2056a) that will protect owners and producers of copyrighted works.  Once passed, the new law would create a system of issuing control marks to protect the rights of authors, performers, producers of audio video recordings and films, computer programs and databases. Then, if a copyright holder reports a suspected violation of its copyright to the State Intellectual Property Service, the government will take appropriate action.  If this kind of corrective legislation is not quickly put into place, a sanction applied to Ukraine could have a serious impact on foreign direct investment in a country that is working hard to build a stable, growing economy and to strengthen the institutions of its young democracy."

Hannaford questions whether the USTR should focus its attention on bigger piracy culprits, such as China.  "Are there none others more guilty? China, for instance, with its routine hacking of government and corporate computers and its stealing of high-security plans of military equipment? Could it be that the USTR understands that the Chinese will do what they please, while bullying a smaller country may pay dividends," writes Hannaford.  

Long-time senior advisor to President Ronald Reagan, Peter Hannaford is one of America's top conservative commentators.  His latest book is Reagan's Roots: The People and Places That Shaped His Character.

The American Spectator: "Piracy on the High Steppe" http://spectator.org/archives/2013/06/28/piracy-on-the-high-steppe

Contact: US-Ukraine Observer, Frank Abernathy, 615-290-5662, [email protected]

SOURCE US-Ukraine Observer