 However, the United States has previously vetoed Iran's ascension to the WTO 22 times, and actively refuses to support Iran's full membership in the WTO.Thus, as a matter of reciprocity, Iran has determined that its interests are not served by observing WTO copyright treaties, and has thus exercised its sovereign right not to alter its laws, thereby making certain foreign copyrights unenforced by Iranian authorities, in theory, or in practice.Iranian pharmaceutical manufacturers are disadvantaged by the government's poor intellectual property protection regime.