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SPECIAL 301
PROGRESS ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ISSUES
JANUARY–APRIL 1994
- Korea began a 10-month effort to reduce piracy, albeit at a reduced level from its January-October 1993 campaign (January).
- Poland passed a new copyright law and signed it into law. (February)
- Colombia deposited its instrument of accession to the Geneva Convention for the Protection of Phonograms. (February)
- On February 23, 1994, the Italian Parliament approved the Film Industry Decree Law issued by the government on January 17. The Law abolished longstanding Italian screen quotas.
- On February 25, 1994, the United States concluded a Section 301 investigation in which Brazil outlined steps it had taken and plans it will take to improve intellectual property protection.
- Jamaica signed a comprehensive bilateral intellectual property rights agreement. (March)
- Indonesia issued implementing regulations for its patent law. The regulations were necessary to carry out important elements of the 1992 understanding between the United States and Indonesia. (March)
- Egypt's People's Assembly enacted amendments to its 1992 copyright law to treat computer software as literary works, thus ensuring that the copyright term for computer software is 50 years. (March)
- The United Arab Emirates Ministry of Information issued a circular prohibiting all importation of piratical material, and giving stores and manufacturers until September 1, 1994 to eliminate all piratical stock. (March)
- The results of the Uruguay Round were signed at a Ministerial in Marrakesh, Morocco. (April)
- Saudi Arabia deposited its instrument of accession to the Universal Copyright Convention. (April)
- The United Arab Emirates cancelled the September grace period, and required immediate elimination of all pirated stock. The UAE also issued a circular prohibiting use of unlicensed software. (April)
- The following countries undertook significant enforcement efforts since last April: Korea, Thailand, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Italy and Taiwan. We will continue to monitor these countries to ensure that improved enforcement efforts continue.
