Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA)

History of Negotiations and Relevant Documents

The Honourable Ed Fast, Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia Pacific Gateway, signed the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement on behalf of Canada on October 1, 2011 at a ceremony in Tokyo alongside Australia, Japan, Morocco, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Singapore and the United States. (See News Release: Canada signs Historic Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement; and Photo Release: Canada Signs Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement)

Background

In October 2007, the Government of Canada announced that it would participate in discussions towards an Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA). ACTA negotiating partners, a group which includes along with Canada, Australia, the European Union and its member countries, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, Singapore, Switzerland, and the United States, concluded negotiations in October 2010 and completed the legal verification of the ACTA text in April 2011. The objective of the ACTA is to put in place international standards for enforcing intellectual property rights in order to fight more efficiently the growing problems of counterfeiting and piracy. The agreement covers three areas: improving international cooperation, establishing best practices for enforcement, and providing a more effective legal framework and is open for signature as of May 1, 2011.

Text of the Agreement

Negotiation Documents

Joint Statements

Agendas

Meetings

Discussions and Consultations

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