5 July 2012
|
AP
The European Parliament overwhelmingly defeated an international
anti-piracy trade agreement Wednesday after concern that it would limit
Internet freedom sparked street protests in cities across Europe.
The vote — 39 in favor, 478 against, with 165 abstentions — appeared to
deal the death blow to the European Union's participation in a treaty it
helped negotiate, though other countries may still participate without
the EU. Supporters had maintained that ACTA, the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade
Agreement, was needed to standardize the different national laws that
protect the rights of those who produce music, movies, pharmaceuticals,
fashion goods and other products that often fall victim to piracy and
intellectual property theft. EU officials said, too, that protecting
European ideas was essential to the economic growth the continent so
badly needs. But opponents feared the treaty would lead to censorship and snooping on
the Internet activities of ordinary citizens. Alex Wilks, who directed
the anti-ACTA campaign for the advocacy group Avaaz, said the agreement
would have permitted private companies to spy on the activities of
Internet users and would have allowed users to be disconnected without
due process. Wilks said the agreement did not properly balance the rights of private
citizens and those of copyright holders, whom he described as companies,
though their ranks also include individual authors and musicians of
modest means. Beyond the EU and 22 of its member countries, eight other countries also
signed the agreement — the U.S., Australia, Canada, Japan, Morocco, New
Zealand, Singapore, and South Korea — though none has yet ratified it.
The EU vote will not affect them.
Original source