Anti-counterfeiting international trade deal set, says Commission

(BRUSSELS) - International trade negotiators working on an anti-counterfeiting deal have struck agreement following the latest talks in Tokyo, the European Commission said Monday.

"Participants in the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) negotiations announced today that they have finalised the text of the agreement, after resolving the few issues that remained outstanding," a statement said.

The deal "paves the way towards a more efficient fight against counterfeiting worldwide," said EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht.

"This will help Europe's businesses, of all sizes, to protect their intellectual property from violations -- especially in the arts, culture, agriculture, industry and science sectors and so maintain their competitiveness and jobs at this critical time."

Talks have focused on enforcement procedures in the digital environment, criminal procedures to deal with counterfeiting and piracy, and transparency issues, the United States said last month.

The EU and Washington has been working with Australia, Canada, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and Switzerland to hammer out the deal.

All you want to know about the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA)