American Bar Association (ABA) Webinar: "Modernizing NAFTA into a 21st Century Trade Agreement: The New USMCA & IP; Thursday, November 29, 2018 12 Noon - 1 PM CT; 1 PM - 2 PM ET

[Kip Currier: In yesterday's lecture on International Intellectual Property, I was just talking a bit about the new IP developments contained within the U.S., Mexico and Canada Agreement (USMCA) that resulted from this year's Trump administration-led North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) changes. So it was very timely to get notice today of this upcoming (free to ABA members) American Bar Association (ABA) webinar on Thursday, November 29, 2018.

Note that the webinar's scheduled time provided is for Central Time, so make adjustments accordingly depending on which timezone you are in.]


"Modernizing NAFTA into a 21st Century Trade Agreement:
The New USMCA & IP
Thursday, November 29, 12:00 - 1:00 PM CT
1.0 Hours CLE Credit

On September 30, 2018, United States, Mexico, and Canada reached an agreement to modernize the 24-year-old NAFTA into a 21st century, high-standard trade agreement. The new USMCA supports mutually beneficial trade leading to freer markets, fairer trade, and robust economic growth in North America. The Intellectual Property (IP) chapter of the agreement provides strong and effective protection and enforcement of IP rights critical to driving innovation, creating economic growth, and supporting American jobs.

Kira Alvarez, Section Legistlative Consultant, American Bar Association, Washington, DC 

Ron Wheeler (Moderator), SVP, Content Protection and Technology Strategy, Twentieth Century Fox, Beverly Hills, CA"

USMCA Sends Canada Back to the Drawing Board on Copyright Law; Centre for International Governance Innovation, October 3, 2018

Michael Geist, Centre for International Governance Innovation; USMCA Sends Canada Back to the Drawing Board on Copyright Law

"In the weeks leading up to the conclusion of the trade-pact negotiations, most of the attention was focused on supply management and the dairy sector, the threat of tariffs on the automotive industry and the future of dispute-resolution provisions. Yet, once the secret text was released just after midnight on Sunday, the mandated reform to Canadian copyright law became more readily apparent.

Leading the way is a requirement to extend the term of copyright protection from the current term of the life of the creator plus 50 years to the life of the creator plus 70 years. The additional years of protection will effectively lock down the public domain in Canada for two decades, with no new copyright expiry on works until 2040 (assuming the agreement takes effect in 2020)."

U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement: Intellectual Property Provisions for the Modern Age; Lexology, November 6, 2018

Kelley Drye & Warren LLP - Brooke M. Ringel, Lexology; U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement: Intellectual Property Provisions for the Modern Age

"The intellectual property (IP) chapter of the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), in particular, reflects significant updates.  While NAFTA included IP provisions – and was, in fact, the first trade agreement to do so – the USMCA reflects a more comprehensive approach to ensuring the United States’ most important trading partners respect and enforce IP rights at a high level."