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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 14pt"><span style="font-weight: bold">October 23, 2007 <i>(12:15 p.m. EDT)</i><br>
No. 146</span></span></span></p>
<br>
<p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 14pt"><span style="font-weight: bold">CANADA JOINS DISCUSSIONS TOWARD</span></span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 14pt"><span style="font-weight: bold">INTERNATIONAL ANTI-COUNTERFEITING TRADE AGREEMENT</span></span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">The Honourable David Emerson, Minister of International Trade, today announced that
Canada will participate in preliminary discussions with the United States, Mexico, the
European Union, Switzerland, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand and other countries
toward an anti-counterfeiting trade agreement (ACTA).</span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">“This government is working both at home and internationally to protect the intellectual
property rights of Canadian artists, creators, inventors and investors,” said
Minister Emerson. “We are seeking to counter global piracy and counterfeiting more
effectively, in an effort to foster an environment that allows for innovation, foreign
investment and sustained economic growth.”</span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">The main objective of an ACTA would be to develop international standards to better
combat the trade in counterfeit trademarked and pirated copyright goods. Provisions
would focus on international cooperation, enforcement practices and legal frameworks,
including enforcement systems. </span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">Counterfeiting and piracy pose an ever-increasing threat to the growth of the knowledge
economy. These illicit activities are also associated with organized crime, and can pose
serious health and safety risks to consumers. </span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">Discussions toward an ACTA complement a number of activities that Canada is
currently undertaking to combat counterfeiting and piracy. These include international
efforts at the G8, at APEC, and within the Security and Prosperity Partnership with
Mexico and the United States, as well as the recent enactment of legislation to
criminalize the unauthorized recording of films in movie theatres. </span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">The government takes the threat of pirated and counterfeit goods seriously, and is
strongly committed to improving the protection of intellectual property (IP) rights in
Canada. It underscored its commitment to strengthening Canada’s IP regime in the
October 16 Speech from the Throne (</span></span><a href="(http://www.sft-ddt.gc.ca/eng/index.asp"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #0000ff"><span style="text-decoration: underline">http://www.sft-ddt.gc.ca/eng/index.asp</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #000000">).</span></span></span></p>
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<p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #000000">- 30 -</span></span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #000000">For further information, media representatives may contact:</span></span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #000000">François Jubinville<br>
Director of Communications<br>
Office of the Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Pacific Gateway and
the Vancouver-Whistler Olympics<br>
613-992-7332</span></span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #000000">Trade Media Relations Office<br>
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada<br>
613-996-2000<br>
</span></span></span><a href="https://bac-lac.wayback.archive-it.org/web/20071116051147/http://www.international.gc.ca/"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #0000ff"><span style="text-decoration: underline">http://www.international.gc.ca</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #000000"></span></span></span></p>
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