Mr. Speaker, with regard to the protection of intellectual property rights: a)The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, ACTA, negotiations are being undertaken with a view to establishing new global standards for the enforcement of intellectual property rights, IPR, in order to more effectively combat trade in counterfeit and pirated goods. Canada is actively participating in the ACTA negotiations to help shape an international agreement that reflects our national interests. In addition, Canada is presenting a position that embodies our domestic legal and policy framework. Since these negotiations, which cover a broad range of complex issues, are ongoing, it is premature to speculate about any specific measure that the countries would agree to include in an eventual agreement.
b) Only once the negotiations are concluded and the text of the agreement is finalized, would Canada be in a position to assess whether or not it should implement any measures to meet the ACTA. Moreover, the Parliament of Canada must approve all international commitments that Canada would undertake before they are implemented. As with any trade negotiation, before acceding to any agreement, Canada would need to be satisfied that it reflects Canadian interests.