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EU Parliament Rejects ACTA

The European Parliament rejected the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) Wednesday after concern that it would limit Internet freedom sparked street protests in cities across Europe.

Supporters say ACTA was designed simply to protect against the counterfeiting of everything from handbags to software, while opponents claimed it opened the door to censorship and loss of privacy.

"The European Commission will continue to seek the legal opinion of the ECJ on whether this agreement harms any of the fundamental rights of European citizens - including freedom of speech. European citizens have raised these concerns and now they have the right to receive answers. We must respect that right," says EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht.

"It's clear that the question of protecting Intellectual Property does need to be addressed on a global scale - for business, the creative industries whether in Europe or our partner countries. With the rejection of ACTA, the need to protect the backbone of Europe's economy across the globe: our innovation, our creativity, our ideas - our intellectual property - does not disappear."

Beyond the EU and 22 of its member countries, eight other countries also signed the agreement – the U.S., Australia, Canada, Japan, Morocco, New Zealand, Singapore, and South Korea – though none has yet ratified it. The EU vote will not affect them.

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