ACTA-avtalet: Nu börjar striden!

Det hårt kritiserade och ljusskygga ACTA-avtalet är nu på väg upp på banan.

EU:s ministerråd (utrikesfrågor) väntas ge sitt klartecken på det möte som pågår nu i dagarna.

Och i Europaparlamentet ligger frågan redan på bordet hos flera olika utskott. (Bland annat ser det ut som om piratpartiets nya ledamot, Amelia Andersdotter, kan komma att bli ansvarig för industriutskottets utlåtande. Snacka om elddop.)

Nedan finner du ett brev från professor Pellegrini vid universitetet i Bordeaux – som väl beskriver några av problemen med ACTA...

Dear Member of the European Parliament,

I am Francois Pellegrini, professor in computer science at the University of Bordeaux. As a side matter of interest, I study the economic, legal and societal impacts of information technologies. Hence, I am quite interested in regulations that impact the creation and use of information goods.

I write you, with a feeling of emergency, regarding the ACTA ("Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement") treaty, in which the EU is planned to take part.

This is *not* yet another trade agreement. It has been negotiated in secret, while it imposes a new regime of criminal sanctions for a whole set of alleged offenses. Not quite usual for a "commercial" treaty.

The broadness of its scope makes it a danger for the freedoms of trade, of innovation, of expression and of entrepreneurship, all subjects that are at the heart of European policies.

By outrageously favouring the attorney lobbies and rent-seeking monopolies over the real economy, this treaty would in fact result in job losses and would globally hinder the economy, in addition to giving unbearable blows to freedom of expression and access to medicines.

Did you know that decision to authorise the signing of ACTA is on the agenda of today's Foreign Affairs Council meeting on trade issues in Geneva, as last item? [1]

Did you know that the Mexican Senate voted a resolution to urge its government not to sign ACTA? [2]

Did you know that the Legal service of the EP refused to disclose parts of its opinion on ACTA, arguing that: "‘[...] Disclosure of the parts of the legal opinion under consideration dealing with questions 1, 2 and 3 [e.g. on the legal basis for adopting ACTA] would seriously interfere with the complex ratification procedures of the ACTA agreement [...], as it might prejudice the ratification procedures by these countries'"? [3]

Indeed, how can its ratification be prejudiced by a legal analysis if the clauses of the treaty are as legally sound as they are claimed to be? Yet, a study made for INTA recommended rejection, on the grounds of incompatibility with the "acquis communautaire".

I tried to sum up in a note some arguments related to ACTA, in order to give an overview of its bases and dangers. Please find it attached, both in English and in French.

Hoping that you will take part in the rejection of such an outdated and detrimental text,

Very sincerely,

f.p.

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[1] http://www.consilium.europa.eu/ueDocs/cms_Data/docs/pressData/EN/foraff/126900.pdf

[2] http://www.senado.gob.mx/index.php?id=9376&lg=61&mn=2&sm=2&ver=sp

[3] http://people.ffii.org/~ante/acta/Legal-service-opinion1.pdf