Archive for July, 2010

The ACTA Scorecard: Major Remaining Areas of Disagreement

The latest ACTA leak of the text following the June meeting in Lucerne has provided fodder for several posts, including one assessing the growing rift between the U.S. and E.U., Canadian positions on ACTA, the changed U.S. position on anti-circumvention rules, and a look at geographical indications, a key issue for the EU.

Today’s post identifies many of the remaining areas of disagreement.  While there are many more sections with text that has not reached consensus, these are the issues where different wording leads to very different substantive obligations. As previously discussed, most of the issues come down to the U.S. on one side and the E.U. on the other.  Many involve scope concerns, with the U.S. trying to limit the treaty to copyright and trademark, while the E.U. adamant that it should extend to all intellectual property. 

Note that is not a summary of the all problems with ACTA – there may be areas where there is general agreement that is cause for concern.  It is also focused on the IP chapter and leaves aside chapters on enforcement practices which includes public “education” campaigns, specialized law enforcement units, and other measures for which there is no agreement. 

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July 21, 2010 1 comment News

Government Launches Consultation on Foreign Ownership in Book Publishing and Distribution

The government has launched a new public consultation that opens the door to changes to the foreign investment restrictions in the book publishing, distribution, and retail sectors.

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July 21, 2010 1 comment News

Dutch Government Ministers Renew Call for ACTA Transparency

The Dutch Ministers of Justice and Economic Affairs have renewed their call for ACTA transparency, expressing disappointment in the recent decision not to release the latest text (which leaked days later).

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July 21, 2010 Comments are Disabled News

KEI on ACTA’s “Other Remedies”

KEI has an excellent post that examines how ACTA Article 2.3 on “Other Remedies” may conflict with the laws of several European countries.

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July 21, 2010 1 comment News

B.C. Online Gaming Site Suffers Privacy Breach

The B.C. government’s new online gaming site was hit with a privacy breach on its very first day of operation.

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July 21, 2010 Comments are Disabled News