The trademarks of a number of U.S. companies were misappropriated under the former government, when local firms took advantage of inadequate protection for famous marks. South Africa was removed from the list in 1996 due to progress on several fronts. In May 1998, however, South Africa was placed back on the Watch List, in part because of a lack of adequate protection of undisclosed data and a law, passed in December 1997, which appeared to empower the Minister of Health to abrogate patent rights for pharmaceuticals. After extensive consultations, the US and South African governments reached an understanding on this Act in September 1999. USTR removed South Africa from the Watch List in December 1999.
Software piracy occurs frequently in South Africa.
Piracy in the video and sound industry is also an issue of concern, with a sound piracy rate of 40 percent and a video piracy rate of 16 percent. Worker Rights a. All workers in the private sector and most in the public are entitled to join a union. Moreover, no employee can be fired or prejudiced because of membership in or advocacy of a trade union. Unions in South Africa have an approximate membership of 3.4 million or 35 percent of the economically active population.