This page has been validated.
- On December 12, 2013, the Communications Regulatory Authority (AGCOM) in Italy adopted regulations to combat copyright piracy over the Internet. The regulations, which entered into force on March 31, 2014, provide notice-and-takedown procedures that incorporate due process safeguards and establish a mechanism for addressing large-scale piracy. Italy's subsequent implementation of the regulations has been positive, resulting in successful enforcement actions against several websites that offered infringing content. These websites have ceased operations in Italy, removed infringing content, or initiated cooperation with copyright holders. The adoption and effective ongoing enforcement of these regulations is a significant achievement, which the United States continues to welcome.
- The Ministry of Justice in Latvia, in close cooperation with other domestic agencies, has drafted new five-year guidelines regarding IPR protection. The guidelines promote advanced research and innovation, training of customs officials and police, exchanges among judges and prosecutors, intellectual property education in universities, and public awareness about the importance and benefits of IPR. The guidelines, which were approved by the Cabinet of Ministers in March 2015, signal Latvia's commitment to pursuing innovation, encouraging economic growth, and creating jobs.
- Denmark has established a unit to be housed under the Danish Patent and Trademark Office that will assist in enforcement efforts by serving those consumers and businesses that have allegedly been the victims of patent, design, and trademark infringement. The unit has no direct enforcement authority, but will collect and assess evidence of alleged infringement and provide such evidence to appropriate law enforcement agencies for further consideration. This type of creative inter-agency coordination on intellectual property issues bolsters the pool of resources available to consumers and small- and medium-sized businesses and supplements law enforcement resources.
- As of April 2015, there are 94 Parties to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Performances and Phonograms Treaty (WPPT) and 93 Parties to the WIPO Copyright Treaty (WCT), collectively known as the WIPO Internet Treaties. Canada became a party to the WCT and WPPT on August 13, 2014 as did Madagascar, on February 24, 2015. During the past year, other trading partners have implemented key provisions of the WIPO Internet Treaties in their national laws.
- As of April 2015, there are 64 contracting parties to the Hague Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs. Korea, Japan, and the United States are the most recent to join the Agreement.
7
