Legal Definitions - North American Free Trade Agreement

North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is an agreement made in 1994 between the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The purpose of this agreement was to make it easier for these countries to trade goods with each other by getting rid of tariffs (taxes on imported goods) and other barriers that made it difficult to trade. It also set rules for protecting things like computer software and databases from being copied without permission. Although it follows some international standards for protecting intellectual property, it doesn't recognize certain rights for artists and creators.