for works or sound recordings under its Copyright Law. As a result, there is insufficient enforcement of intellectual property rights in Uzbekistan.
VENEZUELA
The U.S. is pleased that, during the past year, Venezuela sought to defend its issuance of "second use" patents before the Andean Tribunal, and the National Intellectual Property Office (SAPI) improved its enforcement operations. The National Anti-Piracy Brigade (COMANPI) has continued to train and to provide expertise and enforcement with respect to a variety of IPR violations. However, limited resources and a lack of IPR enforcement by Venezuela customs have hampered the government's efforts to lower copyright piracy levels. Venezuelan policies on pharmaceutical data protection need to be clarified as well so as to make clear that their practices are consistent with international standards.
VIETNAM
Enforcement of intellectual property rights (IPR) in Vietnam remains weak, and violations of IPR are rampant. While Vietnam did conduct considerable administrative and law enforcement actions against IPR violations over the past year, IPR enforcement remains the exception rather than the norm. Market access barriers, especially with regard to "cultural products," continue to impede the availability of legitimate product, further complicating efforts to combat piracy. In most cities, according to industry estimates, up to 100 percent of the music CDs, VCDs, and DVDs on sale are pirated. Trademark violations are also prevalent, with all types of clothing and other items carrying unlicensed versions of famous trademarks available at stands throughout major cities. In spite of this bleak portrait, Vietnam has taken two steps over the last year to strengthen its IPR regime. First, the U.S.-Vietnam Bilateral Trade Agreement, which entered into force on December 10, 2001, has major provisions on IPR that commit Vietnam to make its IPR regime, including enforcement, TRIPS-consistent within two years. Second, Vietnam continued over the past year to make strong progress in strengthening its IPR legal and enforcement structures, including implementing new regulations: (1) extending indefinite protection to well-known or famous marks; (2) protecting new plant varieties for the first time; and (3) providing procedures by which IPR owners can petition Vietnam customs to postpone temporarily the entry or exit of shipments of suspected pirated goods. The United States encourages Vietnam to effectively implement and enforce its new laws and regulations to reduce the pervasive piracy and counterfeiting that continue to exist.
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