Inside US Trade has an update on the ACTA negotiations that confirm many of the recent reports on a divide between the U.S. and the EU. The article quotes an industry source as saying the other ACTA participants encouraged the discussion on issues such as geographical indications since “countries feared […]
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Nokia Criticizes ACTA Substance and Process
Nokia’s global director of brand protection has published a critical column on ACTA in the World Trademark Review (sub required). The column says that ACTA is unnecessarily broad and that by excluding key countries from the negotiations, those countries “are practically forced into a position of opposition.”
From Wellington to Lucerne: Tracking the Major ACTA Changes
Last week I posted a scorecard on the major areas of disagreement. This final chart highlights the key changes from the April meeting in New Zealand to the June meeting in Lucerne, with many changes the result of a shift in U.S. position.
Next ACTA Meeting “Intercessional Meeting” Not Formal Round
David Hammerstein reports that the next series of ACTA talks will be an “intercessional meeting” in Washington starting on August 16, 2010. The talks will not be treated as a formal round, which has the effect of decreasing transparency since no agenda or statement will be released.
Could the EU Walk Away From ACTA?
Putting the pieces together, I think it may be worth considering whether the EU is prepared to walk away from ACTA altogether, leaving the U.S. with a far smaller agreement that cannot credibly claim to set a standard for the G8 or developed world.
Why raise this possibility?