market access by U.S. companies that rely on intellectual property, and is a serious concern. In addition, the United States remains concerned about the lack of protection in Algeria against unfair commercial use of undisclosed test and other data generated to obtain marketing approval for pharmaceutical products. Industry has also noted concern over the granting of marketing approval in recent years to unauthorized copies of drugs protected by Algerian patents, and the lack of effective judicial remedies to enable rightsholders to challenge in court the granting of such marketing approvals. Enforcement against piracy and counterfeiting is weak. The United States looks forward to working with Algeria to address these IPR concerns, including through Algeria's bid for accession to the WTO, the bilateral Trade and Investment Framework Agreement, and other bilateral mechanisms.
ARGENTINA
Argentina will remain on the Priority Watch List in 2009. Although cooperation between Argentina's enforcement authorities and U.S. copyright industries remains positive, and the Argentine Customs authority and law enforcement have taken steps to improve enforcement at the border and Argentina's most significant illegal market, respectively, the United States encourages stronger IPR enforcement actions to combat the widespread availability of pirated and counterfeit products. Copyright piracy remains a significant problem in numerous industry sectors. Civil damages are ineffective and the judiciary is apparently reluctant to impose deterrent-level penalties in criminal cases. The United States notes that Argentina continues to make progress in decreasing its backlog of patent applications and commends their implementation of a patent recordation and alert system. However, Argentina still does not provide adequate protection against unfair commercial use of undisclosed test and other data generated to obtain marketing approval for pharmaceutical products. The United States also urges Argentina to implement an effective system to prevent the issuance of marketing approvals for unauthorized copies of patented pharmaceutical products. The United States will continue to monitor Argentina's efforts to address these IPR concerns.
CANADA
Canada will be added to the Priority Watch List in 2009. The United States appreciates the high level of cooperation between our two governments in many important bilateral and multilateral IPR initiatives. The United States also welcomed the Government of Canada's reaffirmation earlier this year of its 2007 and 2008 commitments to improve IPR protection and enforcement. However, the Government of Canada has not delivered on these commitments by promptly and effectively implementing key copyright reforms. The United States continues to have serious concerns with Canada's failure to accede to and implement the WIPO Internet Treaties, which Canada signed in 1997. We urge Canada to enact legislation in the near term to strengthen its copyright laws and implement these treaties. The United States also continues to urge Canada to improve its IPR enforcement system to enable authorities to take effective action against the trade in counterfeit and pirated products within Canada, as well as curb the volume of infringing products transshipped and transiting through Canada. Canada's weak border measures continue to be a serious concern for IP owners. The United States hopes that Canada will implement legislative changes to provide a stronger border enforcement system by giving its customs officers the authority to seize products suspected of being pirated or counterfeit without the need
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