APEC ministers endorse guidelines to fight fake goods<\/p>\n
Deutsche-Agence Presse, Bangkok<\/p>\n
Ministers from Pacific Rim economies endorsed Saturday a
\ndocument detailing a set of guidelines to fight the rampant
\nproduction of counterfeit or pirated goods in the region,
\naccording to a final draft of the document, the Kyodo news agency
\nreported Saturday.<\/p>\n
The document, approved by the trade and foreign ministers from
\nAsia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum members, said
\nvigorous enforcement of intellectual property rights (IPRs) will
\nrev up economic development.<\/p>\n
The paper, titled \"the Comprehensive Strategy on IPR in APEC,\"
\ndetails how APEC economies will coordinate their efforts to curb
\nviolations of IPR in the region, Kyodo reported.<\/p>\n
The document, a copy of which was obtained by Kyodo News, will
\nbe issued later Saturday at the end of the two-day APEC
\nministerial meeting in Bangkok.<\/p>\n
Some APEC economies are known havens for fake goods due to
\nunhampered unlicensed production and distribution of imitation
\ntrademark goods and pirated copyright goods.<\/p>\n
Investors find the protection of IPR is still insufficient in
\nthe APEC region owing to weak enforcement in some economies.<\/p>\n
\"To improve IPR protection, and especially enforcement, within
\nthe APEC region, it is important that individual economies
\nundertake initiatives and that a variety of cooperative efforts
\nare pursued strategically within the APEC framework,\" the
\ndocument says, according to Kyodo.<\/p>\n
The paper urges APEC economies to promote information exchange
\nto improve IPR enforcement in the region, saying this will
\npromote \"knowledge-based economies.\"<\/p>\n
\"It is important for the economies to exchange information on
\nwhat measures each economy is taking to secure rights. The
\ninformation should include some of the best practices adopted by
\nthe economy,\" it says.<\/p>\n
The paper also calls for the training of IPR enforcement
\npersonnel, including police, customs and courts, through on-the-
\njob training workshops and the dispatch of experts.<\/p>\n
The paper also urges the member economies to provide \"rights
\nholders\" information regarding IPR-related laws, regulations and
\nadministrative procedures. \"This also supports the broader APEC
\nobjective on improving transparency,\" it says.<\/p>\n
\"It is also important to provide the general public in each
\neconomy with information on the harm and problems caused by
\ninfringing goods so that they will respect IPR and avoid
\npurchasing counterfeit or pirated goods,\" the paper adds.<\/p>\n
The APEC ministers have instructed the senior officials \"to
\ndevelop concrete plans to implement the strategy.\" They also
\nemphasize the importance of implementation of well-targeted
\nprojects which take into account the particular needs of
\ndeveloping APEC economies.<\/p>\n
\"In this area, increased support for capacity building
\nprograms as well as infrastructure development in order to
\nstrengthen the fight against piracy is required,\" the final draft
\nsays, according to Kyodo.<\/p>\n
The growth of the \"digital economy\" creates new challenges in
\nthe enforcement of IPR. In fact, APEC leaders' urged the APEC
\neconomies in their statement last year to implement APEC policies
\non trade and the digital economy, in Los Cabos, Mexico, Kyodo
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
In 1995, the APEC leaders stressed the importance of IPR and
\neven offered important guidelines for action within the APEC
\nregion in the Osaka Action Agenda.<\/p>\n
\"APEC's work in this area will enhance economies' abilities to
\nengage in broader trade and investment liberalization, which will
\nhelp APEC meet the Bogor Goals,\" the draft says, Kyodo reported.<\/p>\n
The Bogor Goals call for developed nations in APEC to lower
\ntariff barriers to 0 percent to 5 percent by 2010 and for
\ndeveloping nations to do so by 2020, Kyodo said.<\/p>\n
APEC groups Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Hong
\nKong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New
\nGuinea, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Korea,
\nTaiwan, Thailand, the United States and Vietnam.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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