I had no idea you all in the Great White North were greater intellectual property right thieves then ajushi:

Canada joined the list of a dozen countries tagged with having problems protecting U.S. intellectual property, U.S. trade officials announced Thursday.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative said Canada was elevated to the ” priority watch list,” along with Algeria and Indonesia. Rounding out the 12- nation list were Argentina, Chile, China, India, Israel, Pakistan, Russia, Thailand and Venezuela.Canada’s debut on the priority watch list reflects growing U.S. unease with Canada’s failure to strengthen copyright laws and crack down on counterfeit and pirated products. The U.S. trade report cited Canada’s weak approach to border policing and urged that Canadian customs officers be authorized to seize suspected pirated or counterfeit goods without a court order.  [The Morning Star]

Canada may have been added to the list but look who came off of it:

The nation has been removed from the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) watch list for intellectual property rights, but the U.S. continues to express concern over Internet piracy in South Korea.

It is the first time the country has been absent from both the USTR Watch List and Priority List since the inception of the report 20 years ago.

The removal is an international recognition that the nation’s intellectual property rights protection level has improved to those of advanced nations.

The development should serve as an advantage in future trade negotiations with other countries, but the USTR has warned that if South Korea’s ongoing problem of Internet piracy isn’t improved, the nation could be returned to the watch list.  [KBS Global]

So remember this the next time you walk by all the stalls near the Yongsan Electronics Market selling counterfeit DVD’s and software.