ACTA negotiations delayed
Talks aimed at creating a new Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, originally scheduled for March in Morocco, have been postponed at the request of the United States.
U.S. officials say the delay is not a result of any objection to the agreement on the part of the Obama Administration, but rather because new senior trade representatives need time to review the progress made to date.
The ACTA has been highly controversial, with critics warning that it could create more restrictive copyright and patent protections.
Some proposals would see border officials granted sweeping new powers to search computers and other electronic devices for copyright infringed material.
The ACTA is being negotiated by Australia, Canada, the European Union, Japan, Jordan, South Korea, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, Singapore, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates and the United States.
