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software. In addition, the United States remains seriously concerned about the lack of effective patent protection in Egypt. The United States urges Egypt to enact promptly a modern patent law that provides immediate patent protection for all types of products, including pharmaceuticals, agricultural chemicals and foodstuffs.
The European Union continues to deny national treatment to U.S. intellectual property rightholders with respect to the distribution of revenues collected in association with blank tape levies and public performances. Domestic content restrictions in certain member states deny market access opportunities for U.S. rightholders. The EU's single trademark system is problematic for the U.S. pharmaceutical industry. The reciprocity requirement in the recently approved data base directive also raises concerns. On the positive side, through the European Patent Office, EU countries are taking steps to reduce the extraordinarily high fees associated with filing, issuance and maintenance of a patent over its life which far exceed those in the United States and other countries.
Greece has not yet acted to stop extensive copyright piracy, particularly widespread unauthorized television broadcasts of U.S. motion pictures and other U.S. programming. The United States is pressing Greece to honor its TRIPs obligation to provide effective enforcement of intellectual property rights for all copyright works. Many Greek TV stations broadcast U.S.-owned movies without authorization or payment of required compensation. Enforcement efforts by U.S. rightholders against such unauthorized TV broadcasts have been thwarted in a manner inconsistent with TRIPS enforcement provisions. However, the Government of Greece has begun taking steps which may correct this problem. If Greece has not made satisfactory progress toward reducing television piracy by July 1, the United States will request initiation of WTO dispute settlement consultations.
India was a "priority foreign country" from 1991–1993. India has failed to implement its obligations under Articles 70.8 and 70.9 of TRIPs Agreement. These articles require developing countries not yet providing patent protection for pharmaceutical and agricultural chemical products to provide a "mailbox" in which to file patent applications, and the possibility of up to five years of exclusive marketing rights for these products until patent protection is provided. India has affirmed its intention to pass legislation implementing its TRIPs obligations. India established TRIPs provisions administratively (which have subsequently lapsed) and subsequently has not provided a legal basis for the filing of patent applications for these products. As a result, the United States has initiated WTO dispute settlement procedures with India on this matter. Moreover, India's industrial property laws continue to fall well short of providing adequate and effective protection. In particular, the United States looks to India to enact and enforce modern patent and trademark legislation. India has modern copyright legislation and has begun to take enforcement actions but improvements continue to be necessary in the enforcement area.
Indonesia: While the Government of Indonesia (GOI) has signaled its intent to address government use of pirated software, and the parliament has passed revised IPR laws, serious problems persist in Indonesia on enforcement, protection of well-known trademarks, and market access. At the end of 1996, Indonesian government procurement officials began discussions with U.S. software producers on arrangements for purchasing legitimate product. In March 1997, the Indonesian parliament passed revised copyright, patent, and trademark laws with the stated intent of bringing Indonesia into
