Page:Special 301 Report 1997.pdf/26

  Oman and Nepal become parties to WIPO.

Lithuania becomes a party to the Nice Agreement.

Ghana becomes party the Patent Cooperation Treaty. 

MARCH

 On March 21, the Indonesian Parliament approved three pieces of intellectual property legislation, amending Indonesia's copyright, patent and trademark laws aimed to bring them into compliance with the WTO TRIPs Agreement.

Bahrain became party to the Berne Convention on March 2.

Bolivia issued a Supreme Decree to regulate the protection of software and adopted penal Code amendments to make intellectual property piracy a "public" crime.

<li>Colombia issued new pay-T.V. regulations on March 31. The regulations do not contain penalties for unauthorized T.V. signal transmissions.</li>

<li>Poland becomes party to the Nice Agreement.</li> </ul>

APRIL

<ul style="list-style-type:circle;list-style-image:none;"> <li>The Bulgarian Government adopted amendments on April 17 to a 1996 title verification decree to expand its coverage to computer software.</li>

<li>On April 16, Taiwan's Legislative Yuan (LY) enacted eighteen pieces of legislation which will implement commitments undertaken in the course of Taiwan's World Trade Organization (WTO) accession process. Included in this legislative package are a trademark law and a patent law. Taiwan has not yet announced when these laws will come into effect.</li>

<li>Mexico enacts technical amendments regarding copyright law.</li>

<li>Bolivia issues regulations covering protection of computer software.</li>

<li>Peru creates new intellectual property enforcement unit within the National Police.</li>

<li>Japan becomes party to the Trademark Law Treaty.</li> </ul>