G8 ACTION AGAINST IPR PIRACY AND COUNTERFEITING

1. The growing trade in pirated and counterfeit goods, which  can have links to organised crime, threatens employment, innovation, economic growth, and the health and safety of consumers in all parts of the world.

2. G8 countries are working actively with other countries and through the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), World Trade Organisation (WTO), World Customs Organisation (WCO), Interpol and other competent organisations to address this challenge among ourselves and with other countries, consistent with our international legal commitments, [including TRIPS,] and promoting our development objectives. 

3. We are committed to deepening these efforts, with the aim of reducing substantially global trade in pirated and counterfeit goods, and efficiently combating the transnational networks that support it, in particular through further concrete steps to:

• strengthen and publicize analysis of the underlying trends, issues and domestic and international enforcement actions, including relevant statistical information;
• promote and uphold laws, regulations and/or procedures to strengthen effective intellectual property enforcement, where appropriate, in areas such as the seizure and retention of suspected counterfeit or pirated goods, the destruction of such goods and the equipment used to produce them, and the use of clear, transparent and predictable judicial proceedings, policies and guidelines related to intellectual property enforcement;
• strengthen our efforts to curtail online piracy and to prevent e-commerce transactions of counterfeit goods
• improve co-ordination of anti-counterfeiting and anti-piracy crime strategies,  and ensure closer co-operation among enforcement officials, including shared risk analysis and including through enhanced cooperationuntermeasures at international borders, and between governments and the private sector;
• raise awareness among government officials and the public of the
• health risks, economic damage and benefits to organized crime groups resulting from counterfeiting and piracy;
• work closely with developing country partners to strengthen legislation and build and assist in improving national anti-counterfeiting and anti-piracy and enforcement capacities through shared best practices, training and technical assistance to help achieve our shared development goals.

4. We will convene a working group experts this autumn to lay out the work plan to implement these steps and will review progress at St. Petersburg in 2006 during future presidencies.

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