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Ireland: In 1997, the United States initiated dispute settlement proceedings against Ireland because Ireland has not yet amended its copyright law to comply with its TRIPS obligations. Developed country obligations under the TRIPS Agreement came into effect in January 1996. After numerous consultations with the United States, Ireland committed in February 1998 to accelerate its implementation of comprehensive copyright reform legislation, and agreed to pass a separate bill, on an expedited basis, to address two particularly pressing enforcement issues. Consistent with this agreement, Ireland enacted legislation in July 1998 raising criminal penalties for copyright infringement and addressing other enforcement issues. The process of completing comprehensive copyright legislation is progressing, but is behind schedule. We look to the Government of Ireland to enact revised legislation no later than July 1999.
Jamaica: Jamaica needs to implement its obligation under the bilateral IPR agreement signed with the U.S. in 1994. In August 1996 the Jamaican Government informed us that implementing legislation was moving through the legislative process and expected it to be approved by the end of August 1996. In April 1999, the Government passed legislation on copyrights, layout-designs and trademarks. However, legislation on patents has not been passed. With respect to enforcement, the judicial system, is slow and needs improvements.
Japan: While Japan has taken actions in recent years to improve its intellectual property regime shortcomings remain. With regard to copyrights, the United States remains concerned about both end-user piracy and protection of broadcast digital works in Japan. Japan could usefully improve its protection of copyrighted material by imposing statutory damages for copyright infringement, and by a explicit commitment to the use of legitimate software in government agencies. Second, the lack of protection of both trade secrets and confidential patent information in Japanese court proceedings is of concern. Third, with regard to patents, we remain concerned about the fact that strict requirements regarding proof of use by infringers are overly burdensome to patent owners. Finally, on trademarks, we are monitoring the implementation of amendments to Japan's Trademark Law and Unfair Competition Law to see if they remedy Japan's historically weak protection of well-known international trademarks. Japan has committed to taking a number of actions, including the ratification of the two WIPO copyright treaties and a strengthening of Japan's Patent Law, which should result in greater protection of intellectual property in Japan.
Jordan has taken steps to meet the deficiencies in its intellectual property regime which were identified in its April 1998 IPR action plan, but progress to date has been limited. In April 1999, Jordan acceded to the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works. With this step, U.S. copyrighted works have obtained a measure of protection in Jordan for the first time. Nonetheless, remaining deficiencies in the copyright area must be remedied to fully comply with TRIPS, and accession to the Geneva Phonograms Convention should be expedited in order to ensure full protection for U.S. recorded works. We remain particularly concerned by the lack of patent protection for pharmaceutical products. Between January 1996 and December 1998, Jordanian companies applied for or registered 70 unauthorized copies of internationally patented pharmaceutical products, more than half of which are of U.S. origin. U.S. pharmaceutical companies lose between USD 25 and 50 million annually due to Jordanian pirate production, much of which is exported to other countries in the region. Amendments to patent and trademark laws have not yet been introduced to parliament, and current drafts fall short of
