ACTA Rejected by European Parliament

[Butler to Baby Sloths]

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/e...t-rejects-ACTA

The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), was rejected by the European Parliament on Wednesday, and hence cannot become law in the EU. This was the first time that Parliament exercised its Lisbon Treaty power to reject an international trade agreement. 478 MEPs voted against ACTA, 39 in favour, and 165 abstained.

"I am very pleased that Parliament has followed my recommendation to reject ACTA" said rapporteur David Martin (S&D, UK), after the vote, reiterating his concerns that the treaty is too vague, open to misinterpretation and could therefore jeopardise citizens' liberties. However, he also stressed the need to find alternative ways to protect intellectual property in the EU, as the "raw material of the EU economy".

The EPP's key ACTA advocate, Christofer Fjellner (EPP, SE), asked before the vote that Parliament should delay its final vote until the European Court of Justice has ruled on whether ACTA is compatible with the EU treaties. However, when a majority of MEPs rejected this request, a substantial minority responded by abstaining in the vote on Parliament's consent.

While debating whether to give its consent to ACTA, Parliament experienced unprecedented direct lobbying by thousands of EU citizens who called on it to reject ACTA, in street demonstrations, e-mails to MEPs and calls to their offices. Parliament also received a petition, signed by 2.8 million citizens worldwide, urging it to reject the agreement.

ACTA was negotiated by the EU and its member states, the US, Australia, Canada, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and Switzerland to improve the enforcement of anti-counterfeiting law internationally. Wednesday's vote means that neither the EU nor its individual member states can join the agreement.

Personally, I think that something needs doing about protecting copyright owner's rights to the proliferation of their works, but ACTA was not the tool to do this. Happily the EU Parliament agrees with us, thus turning over this controversial law with a very significant majority voting against it.

WHAT IS ACTA?

[Shaqur]

Finally something good.

[Dundebuns]

Excellent. I was dismayed when I originally learnt that a fair few countries had already said yes to this, and was hoping that it would collapse at this stage.

[Deleted]

Today, on July 4, Europe celebrates a day of independence from American special interests.

ITS A AWSOME DAY !!!!

And it wasnt a small Win... it was a crushing 478-to-39 vote :-D

[Deleted]

This shows that unlike US where corporations control everything and everyone there is still some sense in Europe... Same with yesterday's rulling on selling used SW/games or internet access being a basic human right.

[Butler to Baby Sloths]

Today, on July 4, Europe celebrates a day of independence from American special interests.

ITS A AWSOME DAY !!!!

And it wasnt a small Win... it was a crushing 478-to-39 vote :-D

Heh, while America celebrates its independence from British rule, we celebrate our independence from American corporations

[Deleted]

This shows that unlike US where corporations control everything and everyone there is still some sense in Europe... Same with yesterday's rulling on selling used SW/games or internet access being a basic human right.

Yepp, that was Yesterday... and it gonna mean big Changes for Plattforms like Steam, Origin or even Battle.net.
because they need to make it possible to "move" games to other Accounts.

July surly is a great month for Consumer Rights in Europe... i really love it.

[Deleted]

Well, it's probably dead. It could yet rise zombie like from the grave, though - from an older news report,

If Wednesday's vote goes ahead and Europe's politicians dump ACTA, there is still a chance the treaty could survive. In a speech to parliament last month, Trade Commissioner De Gucht said whatever the result of the vote, he intends to wait for the Court of Justice ruling on ACTA. Should it be judged legal under current European law, de Gucht said he will resubmit the treaty to parliament.

[Deleted]

I suspected that it wouldn't go through, so I'm glad I was correct. As much as I believe the world governments would love to censor and control large parts of the internet, the sheer amount of backlash caused from the general public is seemingly and luckily too much a deterrent for them to go ahead. I do think we need to remain vigilant to ensure it doesn't re-emerge in a different form, though.

[N-7]

Glad, it went as expected.

[Butler to Baby Sloths]

Well, it's probably dead. It could yet rise zombie like from the grave, though - from an older news report,

I think that that might have swayed it had the vote been closer, but it came out at around 90% against the treaty. I don't think a ECoJ ruling in favour of the treaty would change much.

[Catta]

Heh, while America celebrates its independence from British rule, we celebrate our independence from American corporations

Let us celebrate by using cheap chinese fireworks!

[kailtas]

What the European Parliament is irrelevant to me, i don't recognize the institution.

[Deleted]

But the day that European parliament rejected ACTA
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-18704192

Rejoice fellow Europeans,
No longer will we fear that the use of images on websites could get our sites closed down
And its a big "Middle Finger" to the corporations that think they can rough shot legislation upon us with little or no resistance.



Now there is no doubt that this is only a temporary situation, and there will be more daft acrynms that we as a net population will need to fight against to keep our net nutrality as it is, but for today We celebrate!

[cFortyfive]

http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleases...77&format=HTML
Pure gold those statements.

[Deleted]

Great day for all.
wont be long untill another daft acronym threaten's net neutrality though.
untill that day 4th of July is no longer just an american holiday!

"Perhaps it is fate that today is the fourth of July, and you will once again be fighting for our Net freedom from tyranny, oppression, and persecution from Corporate special interest groups. We are fighting for our right to free image use, to back up our data how see fit, and now we have won, the fourth of July will no longer be known as an American holiday, but as the day when the whole of europe declared in one voice 'We will not go quietly into the night, we will not vanish without a fight, we are going to copy on, we are going to survive, today, we celebrate our Net Neutrality Day!"

[Adam Jensen]

Heh, while America celebrates its independence from British rule, we celebrate our independence from American corporations

Maybe someday us Americans will celebrate our independence from American corporations . . .

[wdmshmo]

Maybe someday us Americans will celebrate our independence from American corporations . . .

Nah.. American corp keep typing : Greedisgood.

and we keep saying: Cheat Enabled.

[Eo Jenkins]

Good! Acta, SOPA/PIPA sucks!!!!

[TofuBeast]

Good to see that other governments care more about democracy and freedom than corporations and profit.