The complaint by the United States against Ireland over protection of intellectual property, which was due to be heard by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) today, has been settled after the Government gave a commitment to publish legislation by the summer.

The Government's plans were outlined by the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, at the publication of the first Information Society Commission report yesterday. And in a statement last night, the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Ms Harney, said she was committed to publishing copyright legislation by July.

The Americans had complained that Ireland was not complying with certain aspects of the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property agreement and had taken a formal complaint to the WTO. A WTO dispute panel was due to hear the complaint today.

The chairwoman of the Information Society Commission, Ms Vivienne Jupp, said copyright legislation would enable high-technology companies investing in Ireland to become "embedded" here if they felt protected when engaging in research and development activity.

The commission's report outlines key areas to be addressed in preparing Ireland for the information age and calls for increased competition in the telecommunications sector to lower the cost of access to broadband communications.

The Government is currently considering whether Telecom Eireann should be allowed to maintain its 75 per cent stake in Cablelink, though Mr Ahern declined to comment on the situation until a decision is reached in the next few months.

Telecom has been accused of failing to develop Cablelink because of its potential to become a rival in the sector.

Ms Jupp said that more players were needed in the telecommunications market providing more services at a cheaper cost.

The commission will also monitor Forfas proposals for a flagship "Digital Park" recently submitted to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.