ACTA worries raised at the WTO

Managing IP is part of Legal Benchmarking Limited, 1-2 Paris Gardens, London, SE1 8ND

Copyright © Legal Benchmarking Limited and its affiliated companies 2025

Accessibility | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Modern Slavery Statement

ACTA worries raised at the WTO

Brussels was the setting for impassioned debate over the EU's approach to ACTA this week. But it wasn’t the only place where concerns were raised in Europe

The issue was on the agenda of Tuesday’s meeting of the WTO’s TRIPs Council meeting in Geneva – which in itself caused a row between the ACTA signatories on the Council and those not party to the negotiations.

Managing IP understands that India, Venezuela, Egypt and Ecuador questioned why the issue had been tabled for discussion as an agenda item, rather than as any other business. Once a decision had been taken to keep it on the agenda, representatives from those countries that have signed the anti-counterfeiting deal defended it, saying that it would not limit freedom of expression or target generic medicines.

But India claimed that ACTA would undermine the flexibilities in the TRIPs Agreement that make it easier for developing countries to produce and export generic pharmaceuticals and referred to cases in the EU where Indian-made medicines have been seized by Customs officers in the EU.

India was not the only country to raise ACTA-related worries. Bangladesh shared its concerns about access to medicines, while China noted that many of its provisions are TRIPs-plus. The Brazilian representative repeated concerns that that the country had made before about efforts to harmonise IP rules: that one-size does not fit all.



more from across site and SHARED ros bottom lb

More from across our site

Attorneys explain why there are early signs that the US Supreme Court could rule in favour of ISP Cox in a copyright dispute
A swathe of UPC-related hires suggests firms are taking the forum seriously, as questions over the transitional stage begin
A win for Nintendo in China and King & Spalding hiring a prominent patent litigator were also among the top talking points
Rebecca Newman at Addleshaw Goddard, who live-reported on the seminal dispute, unpicks the trials and tribulations of the case and considers its impact
Attorneys predict how Lululemon’s trade dress and design patent suit against Costco could play out
Lawyers at Linklaters analyse some of the key UPC trends so far, and look ahead to life beyond the transition period
David Rodrigues, who previously worked at an IP boutique, said he may become more involved in transactional work at his new firm
Indian smartphone maker Lava must pay $2.3 million as a security deposit for past sales, as its dispute with Dolby over audio coding SEPs plays out
Powell Gilbert’s opening in Düsseldorf, complete with a new partner hire, continues this summer’s trend of UPC-related lateral movement
IP leaders at Brandsmiths and Bird & Bird, who were on opposing sides at the UK Supreme Court in Iconix v Dream Pairs, unpick the landmark case and its ramifications
Gift this article