particularly with respect to fighting retail piracy and taking steps to implement its optical disc regulations to combat pirate production in optical disc factories. The United States also commends Indonesia for the re-establishment earlier this year of a Ministerial-level National IP Task Force as a focal point for future work to coordinate protection and enforcement of IPR. The United States urges Indonesia to build on this momentum by enforcing its IPR laws effectively and in a deterrent manner against piracy and counterfeiting, including through raids on pirate optical disc factories; by conducting seizures of pirated goods and the machinery used to make them; by arresting and prosecuting IPR infringers; and by ensuring that courts impose jail sentences for IPR crimes and that offenders actually serve such sentences. The United States will assess Indonesia's progress on these issues during the Out-of-Cycle Review. In addition, the United States will continue to use the bilateral Trade and Investment Framework Agreement process to work with Indonesia to improve its IPR enforcement regime.
ISRAEL
Israel will remain on the Priority Watch List in 2006. In March 2005, Israel passed legislation that weakened protection against unfair commercial use of undisclosed test and other data submitted by pharmaceutical companies seeking marketing approval for their products, despite extensive efforts between the United States Government and the Israeli Government to bridge differences on this issue. Intensifying concerns of the United States, the Israeli Government passed legislation in December 2005 that significantly reduced the term of pharmaceutical patent extension granted to compensate for delays in obtaining regulatory approval of a drug. The United States is also monitoring the status of copyright legislation that would weaken protections for U.S. rights holders of sound recordings; the United States urges Israel to provide national treatment for U.S. rights holders in accordance with its international obligations, including those under the 1950 United States-Israel Bilateral Copyright Agreement. In addition, the United States continues to urge Israel to strengthen its data protection regime in order to promote increased bilateral trade and investment in the field of pharmaceuticals and other knowledge-based sectors.
LEBANON
Lebanon will remain on the Priority Watch List in 2006. Although the Lebanese Government issued some high-level statements in 2005 reflecting its commitment to fighting piracy and protecting IPR, there have been few concrete improvements in IPR protection and enforcement. Particular concern remains in the area of cable piracy, because according to the U.S. copyright industry, well over 80 percent of Lebanon's cable subscribers view pirated content, one of the highest rates in the world. Additional concerns exist with respect to copyright piracy, particularly on the Internet. The United States urges the Lebanese Government to continue its efforts to address these problems and to ratify and implement the WIPO Internet Treaties. With respect to enforcement activities, the United States recognizes Lebanon's establishment of a specialized IPR police unit which is authorized to take ex officio action against piracy and counterfeiting, and encourages further development of this new initiative. The United States also urges Lebanon to ensure that prosecutors and judges issue convictions and impose deterrent sentences for criminal IPR infringers, as well as strengthen its patent laws, provide protection against unfair commercial use of undisclosed test and other data submitted by pharmaceutical companies seeking marketing approval for their products, and provide an effective coordination system between its health and patent authorities to prevent the issuance of marketing approvals
