WASHINGTON (CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — Ambassador Susan Schwab, the U.S. Trade Representative has announced that a major new treaty designed to combat intellectual property rights violations is in the works.
Called Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), the agreement is an effort towards developing a comprehensive multinational treaty to establish higher standards of enforcement against piracy and counterfeiting.
"Global counterfeiting and piracy steal billions of dollars from workers, artists and entrepreneurs each year and jeopardize the health and safety of citizens across the world," said Ambassador Schwab. "The United States looks forward to partnering with many of our key trading partners to combat this global problem. Today launches our joint efforts to confront counterfeiters and pirates across the global marketplace."
The ACTA would complement the Administration’s work to encourage other countries to meet the enforcement standards of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) under the World Trade Organization, and to comply with other international IPR agreements. It will not involve any changes to the TRIPS Agreement. Rather, the goal is to set a new, higher benchmark for enforcement that countries can join on a voluntary basis. The negotiations represent a cooperative effort by the governments involved, and will not be conducted as part of any international organization.
The Ambassador doesn't mention how much of an effect voluntary participation enforcement requirements will have on Piracy, nor how efficacious the treaty will be when two of the most egregious offenders, China and Russia are not participants in the treaty. – CelebrityAccess Staff Writers
