Parliamentarians Criticise Anti-Piracy Deal

[DaBees-Knees]

 http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/index.cfm?newsid=3238882

The proposed multilateral Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) has hit a stumbling block over the liability of ISPs in allowing customers access to peer-to-peer file-sharing sites and the inclusion of geographic indicators.

European Commissioner for Trade, Karel De Gucht, gave a statement to the European Parliament earlier this week and attempted to downplay fears that the agreement could infringe individual civil liberties and result in increased border searches for counterfeit and pirated goods. Personal laptops and MP3 players will not be searched, the commissioner said, adding that only piracy and counterfeiting on a commercial scale are of interest.

However, he said that he would walk away from any deal if it did not include so-called geographic indicators, which aim to protect EU products such as champagne or Parma ham. De Gucht described the latest round of negotiations in Washington, D.C., last month as "disappointing".

The international deal seeks to enforce intellectual property rights and combat online piracy and illegal software. But parliamentarians are still very concerned about the secretive nature of the negotiations as US officials have prevented the European Commission from publishing the draft agreement online. Some 377 MEPs have signed a document calling on EU negotiators to reveal the full negotiating text to Parliament before any deal is signed. "There is confusion and vagueness about what is targeted," said French MEP Françoise Castex.

"Parliamentarians are still very concerned about the secretive nature of the negotiations as US officials have prevented the European Commission from publishing the draft agreement online"

So much for Obamas open government. Why do I get a whiff of the old Bush establishment still at work?