Canadian Anti-Counterfeiting Network Welcomes New International Agreement

TORONTO, Oct 6 /CNW/ - The Canadian Anti-Counterfeiting Network (CACN) congratulates the Government of Canada on successfully concluding negotiations on the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), released today by the participating countries. CACN fully supports this important agreement to combat the international trade in counterfeit and pirated goods and welcomes the establishment of new global standards for the enforcement of intellectual property (IP) rights.

"We commend the Government of Canada's commitment to protecting IP rights and applaud this important step in the fight to curb the trade in counterfeit and pirated goods," says Brian Isaac, Chair of CACN. "Canada's IP laws are severely out of date. We look forward to reviewing the final agreement and encourage its speedy implementation."

It is anticipated that ACTA will establish significant enforcement measures and cooperation procedures among participating countries including Canada, the United States, the European Union, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.

"Creating a global standard to combat these types of crimes is a positive step towards protecting the intellectual property of innovative Canadian and global companies as well as keeping Canadians safe from the dangers posed by counterfeit products," added Isaac.

The Canadian Anti-Counterfeiting Network (CACN) is a coalition of individuals, companies, firms and associations that have united in the fight against product counterfeiting and copyright piracy in Canada and internationally. The originating members of CACN include broad-based organizations, such as the Canadian Association of Importers and Exporters, the Canadian Standards Association (CSA), the Electro-Federation Canada and the Entertainment Software Association of Canada; companies from a range of industries including Cisco Systems, Calvin Klein, Microsoft Canada and law firms representing a host of intellectual property (IP) rights holders with significant businesses in Canada.

For further information:

visit www.cacn.ca or contact:
Julien Lavoie, CACN Public Relations at 416-620-7171 ext. 248 or [email protected]