There are many reports about the release this week of an ACTA summary document that was first made available on the USTR website. These articles suggest that this reflects new support for transparency from the Obama administration. While it may be true that the administration supports greater transparency, making that […]

Cooperation in the Pacific Rim by Jakob Polacsek, World Economic Forum (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) https://www.flickr.com/photos/worldeconomicforum/48179628441
Digital Trade
DFAIT Posts ACTA Presentation
The Department of Foreign Affairs has now posted its presentation from earlier this week on the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement. I posted commentary on the meeting in five brief postings (1, 2, 3, 4, 5).
Canada’s ACTA Briefing, Part Five: The Fight Over a De Minimis Exception
One of the most interesting points of discussion/disagreement during the ACTA briefing arose from the possibility of including a de minimus exception within the Border Measures chapter. The exception is presumably designed to ensure that tougher border measures does not result in iPod searching border guards. Canadian officials indicated that […]
Canada’s ACTA Briefing, Part Four: Timeline
Canadian officials were asked whether there was a timeline for completion. Officials responded that they could not confirm that the treaty would be completed by the end of 2009, noting that negotiations were delayed to start the year by a new incoming administration in the United States. The next round […]
Canada’s ACTA Briefing, Part Three: The Official Summary Document
Canadian officials confirmed that they favour a more transparent approach to ACTA. They indicated that there are ongoing discussions among negotiating partners about how to address transparency concerns. During the meeting, officials released a document that will apparently be made available by all ACTA negotiating partners. The document – which […]