JOIN USUS agency tag doesn't bother Nehru Place traders
But the traders there say that they are not bothered and that the negative report would not affect their day-to-day business. “Reports are released everyday, but it would not hamper our shops as we have been working here for over a decade and earned the respect of our customers with years of trusted and valuable professional services,” said a trader who wanted to remain anonymous. Another trader admitted to being involved in piracy and counterfeiting in the south Delhi market, widely considered to be a major Information Technology hub of South Asia, but insists that they were not into the business of cheating people.
“The market thrives because people get all the materials that they look to fulfill their needs and if we were in a business of cheating people we would have never survived. We provide value for the money that they we charge for our goods and materials,” the trader added.
The market is a hub for all forms of IT hardware, such as personal computers, servers, networking equipments, software, documentation services, and all allied services. Several businesses also build custom-specification personal computers and servers to order on-site, and many businesses are dedicated to hardware servicing.
There are also several pavement vendors selling items such as printer toner cartridges, blank optical media, printer paper and even software from a small stall or cart.
The US Trade Representative (USTR) in its ‘Out-of-Cycle Review of Notorious Markets’ report says that the Nehru Place market is “one of many markets in major cities throughout India that are known for dealing in large volumes of pirated software, pirated optical media containing movies and music, and counterfeit goods.”
The report, released on Tuesday, also says that the scale and popularity of the markets can cause economic harm to the US and other IP right holders, and highlights that products sold there may pose possible health and safety risks to consumers. The list also includes the Bahia Market in Ecuador, Ciudad del Este in Paraguay, Harco Glodok in Indonesia, La Salada in Argentina, Petrivka Market in Ukraine, Quiapo Shopping District in Philippines, Red Zones in Thailand, San Andresitos in Colombia, Tepito in Mexico City, Urdu Bazaars in Pakistan, and China’s Small Commodities Market, Lo Wu Commercial Center, PC Malls and Silk Market.