Ukraine's leading English-language newspaper since 1995

The United States placed Russia on its list of countries with the worst records of preventing copyright theft The United States on Friday placed Russia on its list of countries with the worst records of preventing copyright theft for the 13th straight year, just days after the two nations agreed to intensify talks on Moscow's bid to join the World Trade Organization.

The U.S. Trade Representative's office also put China on its "priority watch list" for the sixth consecutive year and Canada for the second.

The list aims to shame governments into cracking down on piracy.

The International Intellectual Property Alliance, which represents U.S. copyright industry groups, has estimated that U.S. trade losses due to piracy in more than three dozen countries surpassed $15.8 billion in 2009.

That included more than $3.5 billion in China, $1.9 billion in Russia, $1.5 billion in India, $1.1 billion in Italy, $978 million in Brazil and $710 million in Canada.

The U.S. wants Canada to follow through on commitments it made in 1997, when it signed treaties governing the Internet.