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 and agricultural chemicals, and failure to establish a system of exclusive marketing rights for these products.


 * Indonesia became a party to the Berne Convention.


 * The Government of Luxembourg implemented amendments to the copyright law that brought it into compliance with TRIPs and substantially increased penalties.


 * Bolivia created a National Service ofIntellectual Property. This new agency is responsible for protecting all IPR -- the first time patents, trademarks and copyright issues will be the responsibility of one agency.


 * Egypt resumed enforcement efforts against software piracy.

October


 * The People's Republic of China's criminal law codifying the nature of copyright infringement took effect on October 1.


 * The Government of Bulgaria established an Intellectual Property Council.


 * Panama's Supreme Court restored the Copyright Office's power to conduct ex officio seizures of counterfeit foreign works.

November


 * In Uruguay, a judge issued an eight-month prison sentence to a notorious local software pirate; this is the first time that a judge used the sentencing provisions of the 1937 copyright law.

December

 The Government of Hong Kong imposed a licensing requirement for the import and export of machinery and equipment used for production of compact discs, video compact discs, or CD-ROMs. The HKSAR also proposed legislation calling for registration and licensing for current and future optical media production facilities, with tough penalties for non-compliance.

The WTO Appellate Body ruled in favor of the United States on India's appeal of the Panel's decision in India - Patent Protection for Pharmaceuticals and Agricultural Chemicals Products. 