and transparency, as well as ensuring that courts impose deterrent sentences in copyright and trademark cases. The United States is concerned with the transshipment of counterfeit and pirated goods through Egypt, including in the Damietta Port and Port Said Free Trade Zones. The United States will continue to work with Egypt on improving its IPR regime and IPR enforcement efforts.
INDIA
India will remain on the Priority Watch List in 2007. The United States remains concerned about inadequate IPR protection and enforcement in India. The United States continues to urge India to improve its IPR regime by providing stronger protection for copyrights, trademarks, and patents, as well as protection against unfair commercial use for data generated to obtain marketing approval. The United States encourages India to implement the WIPO Internet Treaties, strengthen its copyright laws, and improve its IPR enforcement system, including by enacting and implementing an effective optical disc licensing scheme to combat optical disc piracy. Piracy of copyrighted works remains rampant in India. India's criminal IPR enforcement regime remains weak, with improvements needed in the areas of expeditious judicial dispositions for copyright and trademark infringement, border enforcement against counterfeit and pirated goods, police action against pirates and counterfeiters, and imposition of deterrent sentences for IPR infringers. The United States urges India to strengthen its IPR regime, and stands ready to work with India on these issues during the coming year.
ISRAEL
Israel will remain on the Priority Watch List in 2007. Israel appears to have left unchanged its intellectual property regime that results in inadequate protection against unfair commercial use of data generated to obtain marketing approval. Israel also left unchanged aspects of its 2005 law that significantly reduced the term of pharmaceutical patent protection by reducing the time granted to compensate for delays in obtaining regulatory approval of a drug. Information provided by Israel regarding steps it has taken to preclude reliance on data generated to obtain marketing approval for exports is a positive step towards addressing the United States' concerns on this issue. However, the United States remains concerned by the weak protections offered by Israel to pharmaceutical innovators. The United States looks to Israel to provide a higher level of protection that reflects its status as a partner in the U.S. – Israel FTA and its objective of becoming a member of the OECD. The United States is also monitoring proposed amendments to Israel's copyright regime to ensure that there is no weakening of national treatment for U.S. rights holders in accordance with the 1950 agreement between the United States and Israel. The United States urges Israel to strengthen its IPR protection and enforcement regimes and hopes to expand its engagement with Israel on these issues during the coming year.
LEBANON
Lebanon will remain on the Priority Watch List in 2007, despite some positive movement in 2006 by a Lebanese Government IPR task force against copyright piracy. Lebanon's protection of IPR is inadequate, and particular areas of concern include rampant cable piracy, inadequate protection against unfair commercial use for data generated to obtain marketing approval, retail piracy of copyrighted works, and IPR enforcement. The United States recognizes that many of the positive initiatives started by the Lebanese Government in early 2006 (including the formation of a High Tech Crime Unit within the police) were interrupted by significant political
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