Automatic Weapon IP Piracy?

The NY Times reports that the US has been purchasing unlicensed knock-off Kalashnikov AK-47 rifles: Who's a Pirate? Russia Points Back at the U.S.

Washington contends Russian intellectual-property pirates cost the United States more than $1 billion a year.

Now Russia is striking back. A Russian industry and product designer are asserting that the United States has been abetting intellectual-property pirates to suit its own needs, by directing copies of Russian merchandise around the world.

The complaint is not about software or music. It makes no mention of movies or video games. It is about the Kalashnikov assault rifle, the most prolific firearm ever made.