Page:Special 301 Report 2000.pdf/43

  WTO TRIPS requirements. 

March

 The lower house of the Czech parliament passed copyright legislation with the intention of making it fully compatible with the WTO TRIPS Agreement.

Japan's rules and regulations implementing the Madrid Protocol on trademarks came into effect March 14.

Antigua and Barbuda joined the Berne Convention on March 17.

Tajikistan joined the Berne Convention on March 9.

Taiwan signed an agreement with the U.S. on customs cooperation in cracking down on pirated goods in March.

<li>Four Chinese Authorities joined together to conduct another phase of several special enforcement actions specifically against DVD pirates. On March 2, 2000, the State Press and Publication Administration, the National Copyright Administration of China, the Ministry of Public Security and the State Administration of Industry and Commerce issued an urgent joint circular to urge every provincial, regional and municipal government authority to launch a special campaign against DVD piracy in China.</li> </ul>

April <ul> <li>The lower house of the Polish parliament approved amendments to the copyright law which are designed to bring Poland into compliance with its TRIPS obligations.</li>

<li>The Swedish Parliament passed legislation, which took effect on April 1, that protects unpublished copyrighted material from being copied and disseminated by public authorities.</li>

<li>Macau issued its directive on software legalization in government agencies.</li>

<li>Latvia passed copyright law amendments in April.</li>

<li>Peru announced in April a nation-wide software legalization campaign.</li>

<li>The Czech Republic passed a new copyright law on April 26 to meet its TRIPS Agreement obligations.</li> </ul>