(IMAGE: Right-So.com)
BY BLAKE HANSON
Hundreds of thousands of Europeans took to the streets over the weekend to protest the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement known as ACTA. Euronews has more...
PROTESTERS: “Nein Nein ACTA. Nein Nein ACTA.”
REPORTER: “Thousands of Internet users have taken part in protests around Europe against an international anti-piracy agreement.”
The United States and Japan initiated ACTA back in 2006. Although 22 of 27 European members states signed the agreement in January — support has been waning since. Monsters and Critics writes...
“Latvia, Poland and the Czech Republic have also delayed ratifying the treaty … [Germany] had said at the time it would also sign. But since January, the treaty has been the subject of widespread protest, mainly by internet users …”
A writer for The Inquirer takes issue with ACTA, writing...
“ACTA does what no one in their right mind wants, it hands over the policing of copyright infringement to rights holders and threatens to censor web sites and cripple internet freedom.”
But a writer for The Register thinks the mob mentality is all because of misinformation...
“Once it's got its blood boiling, the mob needs new targets. Now it's set its sights on ACTA … ACTA lost its digital copyright provisions long ago, but the mob hasn't noticed. Many of the claims made for ACTA are completely false.”
Meanwhile, Press TV talks with Europeans protesting the agreement, not because of what’s in it but because of how it came to be...
REPORTER: “Critics believe it threatens internet freedom and endangers data protection and criticised the process leading up to the treaty as undemocratic.”
PROTESTER: “The future of the internet has been decided behind closed doors.”
Because ACTA contains a chapter on criminal measures — it will need approval from both European Parliament and all 27 E.U. member states.
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