ID :
210637
Sat, 10/01/2011 - 17:10
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/210637
The shortlink copeid
Multilateral anti-counterfeiting trade accord signed in Tokyo
TOKYO, Oct. 1 Kyodo - A new multilateral accord to combat the proliferation of counterfeiting and piracy was signed Saturday by Japan, the United States and other countries involved in negotiations since 2008.
The pact, expected to take effect next year at the earliest, is aimed at improving standards for enforcing intellectual property rights. Under the new framework, authorities are required to take criminal procedures against such cases as trafficking of counterfeit labels and the distribution of devices that can be used to circumvent copyright protection of digital software.
Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba told the signing ceremony for the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement at the Iikura Guest House in Tokyo, ''We need to head off the rapid increase of copy and bootleg products. We'll work on encouraging more countries to sign the pact.''
The ceremony was held one year after negotiators from the 11 parties -- Australia, Canada, the European Union, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland and the United States -- struck a basic deal on the specifics of the new treaty.
The EU, Mexico and Switzerland have yet to sign the agreement as some domestic procedures have yet to be completed. The agreement is open for signature until May 1, 2013.
The 10 countries and the European Union represent about half of all global trade.
The agreement, also known as ACTA, was largely inspired by Japan's proposal at the 2005 summit of Group of Eight major economies in Gleneagles, Scotland.
The pact, expected to take effect next year at the earliest, is aimed at improving standards for enforcing intellectual property rights. Under the new framework, authorities are required to take criminal procedures against such cases as trafficking of counterfeit labels and the distribution of devices that can be used to circumvent copyright protection of digital software.
Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba told the signing ceremony for the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement at the Iikura Guest House in Tokyo, ''We need to head off the rapid increase of copy and bootleg products. We'll work on encouraging more countries to sign the pact.''
The ceremony was held one year after negotiators from the 11 parties -- Australia, Canada, the European Union, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland and the United States -- struck a basic deal on the specifics of the new treaty.
The EU, Mexico and Switzerland have yet to sign the agreement as some domestic procedures have yet to be completed. The agreement is open for signature until May 1, 2013.
The 10 countries and the European Union represent about half of all global trade.
The agreement, also known as ACTA, was largely inspired by Japan's proposal at the 2005 summit of Group of Eight major economies in Gleneagles, Scotland.
