World business leaders’ coalition was formed against piracy

Business leaders representing industries ranging from pharmaceuticals to software agreed Tuesday to form a coalition to lobby world governments to step up the fight against international piracy and counterfeiting.

Executives including Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Steven Ballmer, EMI Music Chairman Eric Nicoli and NBC Universal Chief Executive Officer Bob Wright said during a meeting in London that many governments had not done enough to legislate - or enforce existing laws - against the theft of intellectual property, according to the AP.

"We need an adequate legal framework and enforcement capacity," Vivendi Universal Jean-Rene Fourtou said. "We are very far from that even in the U.S., and Europe is quite worse." AM