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May

In Vietnam, a May 2, 2003 governmental decree on industrial property protection for layout design of integrated circuits established protection for original semiconductor integrated circuit designs.

On May 6, 2003 Russia's Interministerial IPR Commission held its first meeting.

In India, the May 2002 Patent Law amendment became effective in May 2003 although it still contains numerous categories of inventions that are not patentable. Data exclusivity protection is also necessary to improve India's patent regime.

Togo became party to the WIPO Copyright Treaty and the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty on May 21, 2003.

Ukraine's Supreme Rada adopted a law pertaining to IPR sanctions entitled "On Introducing Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine on Matters of Intellectual Property" on May 22, 2003.

In May 2003, Colombia issued a new decree granting data protection for agricultural chemicals.

In May 2003, the French Industry Minister published a 2003/2004 action plan, thereby creating a national anti-counterfeiting committee charged with strengthening criminal sanctions for IP crimes.

Improved enforcement against piracy began in Malaysia in May 2003.

June

China's State Administration of Industry and Commerce issued the Rules on the Determination and Protection of Well-Known Trademarks, the Measures on the Implementation of the Madrid Agreement on Trademark International Registration and the Measures on the Registration and Administration of Collective Trademarks and Certification Marks in April 2003, all of which became effective June 1, 2003.

The Dominican Republic ratified the WIPO Performance and Phonograms Treaty on June 10, 2003 but has yet to deposit these documents with WIPO.

Serbia and Montenegro joined the Convention for the Protection of Producers of Phonograms Against Unauthorized Duplication of Their Phonograms (the "Geneva Phonograms" Convention) on June 10, 2003.