The worldwide Anti-Piracy Compliance Program (APCP) has extended its reach into Latin America with the enrollment of two leading optical media manufacturing plants in Argentina.

EPSA Electrical Products, SA, initiated the expansion by responding to IRMA?s invitation and enrolling its Buenos Aires CD factory in the intellectual property protection program. The second Argentine plant, A.V.H. San Luis SRL, has its manufacturing facility in San Luis, with a sales and marketing office in Buenos Aires.

Timothy J. Gorman, IRMA?s Director ? Worldwide Anti-Piracy Compliance Program, said ?the expansion of our program into Argentina reflects the robust anti-piracy commitment of senior management of these two leading disc manufacturers as well as the expressed request of content owner groups to target countries with a high rate of piracy.? Latin America has an overall piracy rate of 55%; Argentina has a reported 45% rate. IRMA expects a similar expansion of its anti-piracy program into Brazil (63%) and additional growth in Mexico (68%.) The IRMA program is endorsed by content owners and their enforcement organizations, as well as various other industry groups and government agencies.

Ms. Laura Tesoriero, president of EPSA Electrical Products and of EPSA Music, has been working the past year with CAPIF, the Argentine Chamber of Phonogram and Videogram Producers, to raise the awareness of piracy and its negative effects on the Argentine economy. ?We are proud to be in our country?s premier group of optical media manufacturers fighting piracy through the globally-recognized anti-piracy compliance program. EPSA?s application of anti-piracy tools also includes the introduction into Argentina of RepliCheck, an electronic database of music and films with more than four million titles that is used to verify copyright licenses of intellectual property. This double-fisted approach enhances our industry?s cooperative anti-piracy efforts.? EPSA manufacturers a wide range of CD products and other optical disc specialty items.

A.V.H. has been the licensee of major film studios -- Warner Home Video, Universal and Paramount -- for more than 20 years. It has its own DVD and VHS plants to manufacture the product of these studios, and to offer replication services to other major companies such as Buena Vista Home Entertainment, EMI Music and Warner Music. A.V.H. is the leading company in the Argentine Video Market, and also offers its services to other countries of the region.

Aldo Fernandez Sanchez, General Manager of AVH San Luis SRL, noted, ?We are delighted that our plant is participating in this distinctive program and enthusiastically supporting this vital industry campaign. The protection of intellectual property rights is of paramount importance for everyone at A.V.H. and is the essence of our success through all these years?

NOTE: IRMA is conducting an Anti-Piracy Workshop on Monday, 25 July, in Buenos Aires for replicators, content owners and their organizations, distributors, and others interested in combating piracy. For details contact Timothy J. Gorman, IRMA?s Director ? Worldwide Anti-Piracy Compliance Program; tgorman@recordingmedia.org; Telephone +1-301-941-0308 (Washington Anti-Piracy Office.)