Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement
New Zealand along with a number of trading partners, including the United States, Australia, Canada, the European Union, Japan, Korea, Mexico and Switzerland, have been engaged in discussions over the development of a pluralateral Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement ("ACTA"). The goal of ACTA is to set a new, higher benchmark for intellectual property rights enforcement that countries can join on a voluntary basis. The discussions represent a cooperative effort by the governments to respond to the increase in global trade of counterfeit goods and pirated copyright protected works. The discussions are not being conducted as part of any international organisation.
G8 Leaders' Communiqué on the World Economy Refers to ACTA
Paragraph 17 of the G8 Leaders' Communiqué on the World Economy published on 8 July 2008 stated that
"Effective promotion and protection of IPR are critical to the development of creative products, technologies and economies. We will advance existing anti-counterfeiting and piracy initiatives through, inter alia, promoting information exchange systems amongst our authorities, as well as developing non-binding Standards to be Employed by Customs for Uniform Rights Enforcement (SECURE) at the World Customs Organization. We encourage the acceleration of negotiations to establish a new international legal framework, the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), and seek to complete the negotiation by the end of this year. We will promote practical cooperation between our countries to develop tools to combat new techniques in counterfeiting and piracy and spread best practices. We reaffirm our commitment on government use of software in full compliance with the relevant international agreements and call on other countries to follow our commitment."
Read the full Communiqué [external link]
A Presentation on the development of ACTA [211 kB PPT]
A PowerPoint presentation about the development of ACTA given during an intellectual property rights enforcement workshop held on 12 November 2008.
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Media Statement by Participants, 12 June 09
A media statement issued by participants announcing resumption of negotiations in 2010
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Invitiation for Further Submissions, 15 May 2009
Submissions from the public are invited on a range of enforcement proposals, which may be raised in forthcoming negotiating rounds, to assist in guiding New Zealand’s participation
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Summary of Key Elements under Discussion, 7 April 2009
A joint media statement issued by Participants outlining a summary of the key elements of the proposed agreement that is under discussion as at 6 April 2009.
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Information Sheet: Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement
The proliferation of infringements of intellectual property rights ("IPR") particularly in the context of counterfeiting and piracy poses an ever-increasing threat to the sustainable development of the world economy.
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Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement: Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently asked questions and answers about the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement.
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ACTA Negotiations: Round Two Agenda
The agenda for Round Two of the ACTA negotiations.
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ACTA Negotiations: Round One Agenda
The agenda for Round One of the ACTA negotiations.
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ACTA Negotiations: Round Three Agenda
The agenda for Round Three of the ACTA negotiations.
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ACTA Negotiations: Report on Round One 3 - 4 June 2008, Geneva
A short report on Round One of the negotiations held on 3 and 4 June 2008.
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ACTA Negotiations: Round Four Agenda
The agenda for Round Four of the ACTA.
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ACTA Negotiations: Report on Round Two, 29-31 July 2008, Washington D.C.
A short report on Round Two, 29-31 July 2008, Washington D.C.
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ACTA Negotiations: Report on Round Three, 8-9 October 2008, Tokyo
A short report on Round Three of the negotiations held on 8 and 9 October 2008.
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ACTA Negotiations: Report on Round Four, 15-18 December 2008, Paris
A short report on Round four of the negotiations held on 15-18 December 2008 in Paris.
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New Zealand to Join Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement Negotiations - Associate Minister of Commerce Media Statement
The Associate Minister of Commerce Judith Tizard announced today that New Zealand would join with a number of key trade partners to negotiate an Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement to combat the global rise in the trade of fake goods.
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Summary of Submissions Received About ACTA
A table summarising the 19 submissions received from interested parties concerning specific matters that should be the focus of ACTA for New Zealand
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