Activists handed the European Parliament an Internet petition Tuesday bearing more than 2 million names and arguing against ratification of a proposed anti-counterfeiting treaty on the grounds it would destroy Internet freedom.
The petition was presented by representatives of Avaaz, an organization that uses the internet to mobilize support for various political issues. "We call on you to stand for a free and open Internet and reject the ratification of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), which would destroy it," the petition said.
Proponents argue that ACTA would change nothing in European Union law and would be a means of extending to other countries the kinds of protections against counterfeit goods and copyright infringement the EU already offers. They argue the treaty would protect European consumers against such dangers as counterfeit drugs and auto parts, and European businesses against having to compete with cheap and illegal imitations of their goods.
The International Trademark Association, which represents thousands of companies, argues the agreement would "create and preserve millions of European jobs" and "spur European economic recovery, competitiveness and growth."
In any event, the effort to have the European Union ratify the treaty has for the time being come to a screeching halt. EU passage would require ratification by each of the 27 member countries. As opposition to the treaty grew in some countries recently, the European Commission, the EU's executive branch, suspended efforts to get the treaty ratified and decided to send the text instead to the European Court of Justice to see whether the agreement would violate any fundamental EU rights.
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