Europe kicks out controversial ACTA anti-piracy law

[Nipuna]

Jacob Aron, technology reporter

The European Parliament has rejected a controversial proposal that would have forced internet service providers to monitor and report customers suspected of copyright infringement. The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), first proposed by the US in 2007, was shot down with 478 votes against the measure and only 39 in favour.

It marks the first time the parliament has voted against an international trade agreement: G8 nations, the European Union, South Korea and Australia had agreed in principle to enact new laws based on ACTA. Now neither the EU nor its member states can join the agreement, but it can still go ahead in other countries such as the US.

Proponents of the agreement had been criticised for conducting negotiations in private, with news of the treaty first coming to light when a discussion paper was uploaded to WikiLeaks. Since then campaigners have fought to prevent ACTA-based laws, with the European Parliament receiving a petition signed by 2.8 million people worldwide.

Had ACTA gone ahead, European ISPs would have had to scan their customers' communications using "deep packet inspection" technology, which is used by the likes of China and Iran to monitor and censor their citizens online. But speaking before the vote, EU trade commissioner Karel De Gucht sought to dispel such concerns. "ACTA is not an attack on our liberties, it is a defence of our livelihoods," he said. "A vote against ACTA will be a setback for the protection of our intellectual property rights around the world."