US Asks WTO to Stop Chinese Piracy

The US signaled that its patience was wearing thin with China on Monday, as it asked the World Trade Organization to crack down on piracy within the country. The Bush administration is especially concerned over the economic losses sustained to American businesses by the problem, which it says costs the country billions of dollars per year.

Both countries had previously met on the subject two months ago, but were not able to come to terms. While China has taken some steps to improve the situation, the US government said that significant issues still remain. "We will pursue this legal dispute in the WTO and will continue to work with China bilaterally on other important intellectual property reform issues," US Trade Representative Office spokesman Sean Spicer said.