Global anti-counterfeit pact moves forward

Global anti-counterfeit pact moves forward    Australia, Canada, the European Union, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, Singapore, Switzerland and the United States on Friday said they are moving forward on the negotiation of an Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) to step up the fight against global counterfeiting and piracy.
   Participants in the ACTA negotiations will next meet in Morocco in July to continue discussions with a view to reaching an agreement in 2010.
   'Today's announcement emphasizes the participants' 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 ACTA members said.
   Negotiations on the ACTA began in June 2008.