The Office of the United States Trade Representative recently published its annual list of both online and physical markets around the world that are engaged in the most intellectual property infringement, such as counterfeiting and pirating. Rather than listing countries, the USTR lists particular markets based on industry reports.

Online intellectual property infringement tends to be centered in developed nations. Some of these markets operate from the U.K., Canada, Sweden and France, for instance. Websites based in countries like China or Russia are also major players in online piracy. Websites are often moved to avoid being detected by authorities or taken down, as well, which makes some of their locations difficult to pinpoint, according to IP Watch.

Physical markets where counterfeiting and other intellectual property infringement run rampant include places in China and Latin America as well as India, Spain and Thailand. A particular market in Paraguay, known as the Ciudad del Este, has been on lists like these for 15 years and received international attention, but still functions smoothly. The situation there has not improved markedly, according to the report.

The USTR list is not meant to report legal actions or the U.S. government's analysis of intellectual property protections in certain countries, IP Watch notes.