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 The Paraguayan Government issued a decree on January 27 that places import controls on blank media (blank compact discs, audiotapes and video tapes) to fight against piracy.

The recording, motion picture and business software industries signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Polish National Board of Customs with the aim to improve cooperation between the private sector and customs in the fight against piracy on January 24.

Armenia's new law on Copyright and Neighboring Rights was signed into law on January 12.

Legal reforms to improve the legal and enforcement copyright regime were adopted in Estonia. Trade Secret and layout design laws, designed to comply with WTO TRIPS obligations, were also amended in December.

On January 31, Romania issued a government decree to establish a registration and hologram program for the production and distribution of phonograms, with non-compliance resulting in fines for confiscation of illegal material.

Honduras published amendments to its copyright law on January 15.

Australia acceded to the 1991 Act of the UPOV Convention on plant variety protection on January 20.

<li>Croatia's laws covering industrial designs, patent, trademarks, integrated circuits and trademarks came into effect in January.</li> </ul>

February

<ul> <li>Ukraine adhered to the Geneva Phonograms Convention on February 18.</li>

<li>Georgia adopted a new Criminal Code to improve copyright enforcement, which came into force on February 15.</li>

<li>The Colombian Government confirmed the National AntiPiracy Campaign, which decrees the involvement of a large number of government and independent agencies in the fight against piracy on February 25.</li>

<li>Colombia issued a directive to all government and educational institutions to use only legitimate software.</li>

<li>Kuwait's new copyright law came into effect on February 9, and it is designed to meet </li> </ul>