 This factory was later sold to the Brazilian gunmaker Taurus (Forjas Taurus S/A) in 1980, after the contract had expired.Shortly thereafter, Taurus began using the original Beretta machinery to make their own pistols, which were a copy of the original Beretta 92 design, which was not being produced at that point.They did this without the need for a license and they also did not have to pay royalties, as the patents had since expired.