By Lam Chung Nian and Jeffrey Lim
Singapore is one of the eight countries which signed the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement ("ACTA") in Tokyo, Japan, on 1 October 2011. The other seven signatories are Australia, Canada, Japan, the Republic of Korea. Morocco, New Zealand and the United States. The European Union, Mexico and Switzerland are to sign the ACTA later. ACTA will only come into force after ratification by at least six parties.
ACTA is a significant achievement in the global fight against infringement of intellectual property rights and in particular, the proliferation of counterfeiting and piracy. ACTA provides for, amongst other things:
- enhanced international cooperation;
- promotion of sound enforcement practices; and
- a legal framework for intellectual property rights enforcement in the areas of criminal enforcement, border enforcement, civil and administrative actions, and distribution of infringing material on the Internet.
The key elements of ACTA go beyond the minimum standards set by the World Trade Organisation Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights and include more robust measures to enhance the regime for protection of intellectual property rights.
The signing of ACTA reaffirms Singapore's commitment to the protection of intellectual property rights and the adoption of higher standards in such protection.
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