Proposed Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement: Background and Key Issues

摘要

Since 2008, the United States and nearly 40 other countries have been conducting negotiations on the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), a proposed agreement whose primary objective is to enhance protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights (IPR) internationally. The ACTA would create new standards for enforcement of IPR by establishing a strong legal framework for IPR enforcement, increasing international cooperation, and enhancing enforcement measures. The ACTA is being negotiated among the governments of Australia, Canada, the 27 member states of the European Union, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, Singapore, Switzerland, and the United States. It is being crafted as a 'stand-alone' agreement independent of any existing international organization or agreement. Negotiations are ongoing, and currently no version of the draft negotiating text has been released officially for public circulation.