INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MEMORANDUM SIGNED BETWEEN CROATIA & U.S.

( Editorial: --> 6633 ) ZAGREB, May 26 (Hina) - Croatia and the United States on Tuesday signed a memorandum on the protection of intellectual property rights which should ease Croatia's access to the World Trade Organisation (WTO), and improve overall cooperation between Washington and Zagreb. The memorandum was signed in Zagreb on behalf of the American and Croatian governments by US Ambassador to Croatia William Montgomery and State Bureau of Intellectual Property director Nikola Kopcic, who used the occasion to emphasis that the memorandum was of great important for good economic relations between the two countries. Montgomery said he was very satisfied with the recent signing of two large trade agreements between the US and Croatia, and expressed hope that the signing of this memorandum would allow better co- operation of American and Croatian firms. Kopcic said the process was now open for concluding two important agreements between the US and Croatia covering the abolition of double taxation and the protection and stimulation of investments. He said the signing of the memorandum had vital importance in Croatia's access to the WTO. The memorandum regulates areas and aspects of intellectual property ownership, including copyrights, brands, trademarks, patents, protection of confidential information, industrial design and protection of coded satellite signals for transmission of programmes. (Hina) as mbr/as 261514 MET may 98