8. After the period specified in paragraph 7, the Committee may adopt or amend the rules and procedures upon the consensus of the Parties to this Agreement.
9. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph 8, the Committee may decide that the adoption or amendment of a particular rule or procedure requires the consensus of the Parties and those Signatories not Parties to this Agreement.
10. The Committee shall convene at least once every year unless the Committee decides otherwise. The first meeting of the Committee shall be held within a reasonable period after the entry into force of this Agreement.
11. For greater certainty, the Committee shall not oversee or supervise domestic or international enforcement or criminal investigations of specific intellectual property cases.
12. The Committee shall strive to avoid unnecessary duplication between its activities and other international efforts regarding the enforcement of intellectual property rights.
1. Each Party shall designate a contact point to facilitate communications between the Parties on any matter covered by this Agreement.
2. On the request of another Party, a Party’s contact point shall identify an appropriate office or official to whom the requesting Party’s inquiry may be addressed, and assist, as necessary, in facilitating communications between the office or official concerned and the requesting Party.
1. A Party may request in writing consultations with another Party with respect to any matter affecting the implementation of this Agreement. The requested Party shall accord sympathetic consideration to such a request, provide a response, and afford adequate opportunity to consult.
2. The consultations, including particular positions taken by consulting Parties, shall be kept confidential and be without prejudice to the rights or positions of either Party in any other proceeding, including a proceeding under the auspices of the Understanding on Rules and Procedures Governing the Settlement of Disputes contained in Annex 2 to the WTO Agreement.
3. The consulting Parties may, by mutual consent, notify the Committee of the result of their consultations under this Article.
This Agreement shall remain open for signature by participants in its negotiation[1] and by any other WTO
- ↑ Australia, the Republic of Austria, the Kingdom of Belgium, the Republic of Bulgaria, Canada, the Republic of Cyprus, the Czech Republic, the Kingdom of Denmark, the Republic of Estonia, the European Union, the Republic of Finland, the French Republic, the Federal Republic of Germany, the
