Pirated goods cripple Brazil's economy, but solutions seen as weak.(Chicago Tribune)

RIO DE JANEIRO _ In Rio's bustling commercial district, the latest computer software, the hottest samba music CDs and even DVDs of the biggest blockbuster films can all be had for about $2.50 each from street vendors.

In this open illegal trade, a vendor named Marcos guarantees he has the best deals at prices that can only be described as too good to be true. He openly operates on a main downtown street even as several military police officers stand only a half-block away.

"If you have any problems, just call," said the 25-year-old, handing out a business card.

Industry officials say vendors like Marcos are a microcosm of a growing economic cancer in Brazil, where the underground economy is progressively eating away at the official one, costing the government and businesses billions each year in lost taxes, profits and jobs.

The fake products and pirated copies of everything from designer-label sneakers to computer games to auto parts have long been a part of life in Brazil, but the growing trade will represent new challenges for President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

While street vendors are the face that most Brazilians identify with pirated goods, officials say investigations have revealed that the power behind the black market may be organized crime and international terrorism. Aware of the concerns internationally, "the Brazilian government is putting forth an enormous effort to fight piracy," said Clovis Monteiro, president of a new federal interagency committee set up to halt piracy, which is estimated to cost Brazil $27 billion annually in lost federal, state and local taxes.

"We consider piracy one of the biggest enemies in Brazil," he said.