Specific topics being discussed under the secretive negotiating process of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement were revealed Monday when the office of US Trade Representative Ron Kirk released a summary of the key elements under discussion.
The summary is available from the USTR website here [pdf]. The six-page document outlines legal frameworks for IP rights enforcement – including customs and border measures, civil and criminal proceedings, and the role of digital technology, including internet service providers – cross-border cooperation to stop trade in infringing goods, and good practice suggestions for enforcement, including fostering expertise in and communication between competent authorities, and collection and analysis of data.
Civil society groups and other interested stakeholders have been calling for more transparency in these negotiations for months, with governmental voices joining the call in recent weeks (IPW, Enforcement, 27 March).
[…] Link via Intellectual Property Watch. […]