ACTA Negotiations: Report on Round Two, 29-31 July 2008, Washington D.C.

Discussion on the proposed Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement continued in Washington, D.C. 29-31 July. Participants in the discussion included Australia, Canada, the European Union (represented by the European Commission and Member States, including the EU Presidency (France)), Japan, Korea, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, Singapore, Switzerland, and the United States.

The participants welcomed the statement in the July 2008 G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit Declaration on the World Economy that G8 members support "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." Participants reaffirmed their goal to combat global infringements of intellectual property rights, particularly in the context of counterfeiting and piracy, by increasing international cooperation, strengthening the framework of practices that contribute to effective enforcement, and strengthening relevant IPR enforcement measures themselves.

The 29-31 July meeting was the latest in a series of meetings to develop different aspects of the proposed agreement. The discussion at this meeting focused on civil remedies for infringements of intellectual property rights, including such issues as availability of preliminary measures, preservation of evidence, damages, and legal fees and costs. Participants also continued their previous discussions of border enforcement of intellectual property rights.

Participants agreed to continue consulting with stakeholders through domestic processes, share the results of these consultations at their next meeting, and to continue exploring opportunities for stakeholder consultations in connection with future ACTA meetings.

The participants made steady progress in these discussions, and agreed to continue their work at another substantive meeting to be held at a mutually convenient time in the near future.

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