U.S., Others Agree to Move Ahead on Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreements Talks

(World Trade Interactive)

The Obama administration has decided to continue negotiating a new multilateral Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, according to a June 12 announcement from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, having determined that the ACTA “remains an important part of the U.S. trade agenda.” Talks are set to resume in Morocco in July, with a goal of concluding an agreement in 2010.

The ACTA negotiations were launched in October 2007 and participants currently include the U.S., Australia, Canada, the European Union, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and Switzerland. USTR states that the ACTA is intended to help governments combat more effectively the proliferation of counterfeit and pirated goods that undermines legitimate trade and the sustainable development of the world economy and in some cases contributes to organized crime and exposes consumers to dangerous fake products. Specifically, this agreement aims to increase international cooperation, strengthen the framework of practices that contribute to effective enforcement and strengthen relevant intellectual property rights enforcement measures themselves. Read more here.