The Government has been urged to introduce legislation extending copyright law to computer software urgently to avert a case being taken by the US against Ireland at the World Trade Organisation.
Labour's spokesman on Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Mr Tommy Broughan, is to ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Ms Harney, to explain why her Department entered a binding trade agreement but failed to produce the necessary copyright legislation. The US is taking a case against Ireland next week in Geneva. Efforts to defer the action failed.
The Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights agreement obliges all signatories to have legislation in place by 1996 to protect copyright on computer software, as well as products such as film, video and tapes.
Mr Broughan said yesterday Ms Harney was planning major copyright legislation and suggested the aspects dealing with protecting software be expedited.
He asked if the Department was willing to pay compensation to Irish companies if trade sanctions were imposed. A spokesman for Ms Harney said the Minister was committed to publishing a copyright Bill in July and the US had been informed of this.
The proposed Bill is expected to be of the largest to go before the Dail, with 500 section.