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26
Developments in Intellectual Property Rights
1998
May
- Jordan agreed to implement a negotiated Action Plan to ensure improvements in its enforcement and legal regimes.
- Oman's Copyright Enforcement Regulations became effective May 2, resulting in declining levels of pirated videos and sound recordings.
- The Ecuadorean Congress passed, and the President signed, a comprehensive law significantly improving the legal basis for protecting intellectual property rights, including patents, trademarks, and copyrights.
- Romania joined the Geneva Phonograms Convention and passed the Transitory Pipeline Protection Law.
- The Government of Macau adopted regulations to control the import, export and distribution of optical media production equipment and finished products in May.
June
- Egypt's Ministry of Culture took on its first software piracy end-user case, and prosecuted several dozen end-user cases by the end of 1998.
July
- Ireland enacted legislation addressing two pressing copyright enforcement issues. The bill significantly raised the level of criminal penalties for copyright infringement and established stronger presumptions of copyright ownership and subsistence.
- Taiwan on July 15 published and implemented a new set of Export Monitoring System Regulations aimed at improving the interception of pirated video game and computer software exports.
