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ACTA: Negotiations May Be Done, But Debate Continues

By Michael Geist

Next week, the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage will begin hearings on the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement.  The hearing are long overdue as many other countries have held hearings or other consultations on the agreement.  The ACTA hearings come just as the issue heats up around the world:

• An ACTA analysis conducted by European law professors that concludes the agreement is not fully consistent with EU law.
• A report from a meeting this week with European ACTA negotiators, who dismissed the concerns raised by the European law professors.
• Margot Kaminski offers an excellent review of the evolution of the agreement, particularly the changes that occurred during the negotiating rounds in 2010.
• A position statement on ACTA from pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline, which welcomes the agreement but expresses disappoinment in the de minimus clause and the absence of a requirement for customs authorities to reveal all information about an alleged infringement to the rights holder.

Peter Van Loan, the Minister of International Trade, along with ACTA and CETA trade negotiatiors will appear before the committee.

Full post as published by Michael Geist on January 28, 2011 (boomark / email).