China and Russia top the latest U.S. list of countries that are havens for the illegal copying and distribution of the intellectual property of U.S. businesses.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative released an annual report Friday that noted China's efforts to curb the piracy of intellectual property, but said enforcement continues to lag far behind the promises made by top Chinese officials.
The report also called Russia a serious pirating concern. While Moscow has shut down some CD and DVD factories, particularly on government-owned land, the report said high levels of infringement remain.
In addition to China and Russia, the 11 other countries topping the trade commission list were Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Israel, Lebanon, Turkey, Ukraine and Venezuela.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP.