ACTA Talks May Open Up, Slightly

The latest round of negotiations for an Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) held in Rabat, Morocco on 16-17 July resulted in the announcement that after closed-door discussions on transparency, the only agreement reached on transparency was to release draft agendas of future closed-door negotiating rounds. Public interest groups and technology companies are seeking a voice and equal access to negotiating texts shared with rights holders. Governments discussed “providing information to stakeholders and the interested public,” according to the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR).

Discussions also focused on “international cooperation, enforcement practices and institutional issues,” USTR said, three areas described in its 6 April document entitled, “ACTA Summary of Key Elements Under Discussion.” Cross-border cooperation includes fighting organised crime, enforcement practices are methods to enforce IP laws such as building local competency, and institutional issues are administrative matters related to establishing the treaty.

The next round will be hosted by Korea in November 2009, and the intention is still to conclude the agreement “as soon as possible in 2010,” USTR said. Participants in this round included: Australia, Canada, the European Union (represented by the European Commission), the EU Presidency (Sweden) and EU members, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, Singapore, Switzerland, and the United States.