Though both Germany and China have signed the Bern Convention, which in theory extends U.S.-style copyright protections to those countries, suing abroad is a costly and time-consuming process, says Gregory Rutchik, head of the Arts and Technology Law Group.

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The problem has long been recognized, and the aforementioned Habitats Directive -- a corollary of the 1979 Bern Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats -- introduced a range of measures aimed at protecting endangered species (including plants, birds and fish as well as mammals).

CNN: All creatures great, small and disappearing