The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (A.C.T.A.) is a proposed multilateral treaty that aims to standardize the enforcement of intellectual property rights.
One of the key points of contention with the treaty is the level of secrecy that the talks are conducted under, and the lack of input from what the European Commission terms "civil society"[1]. According to the factsheet distributed on behalf of one of the A.C.T.A. negotiating parties, the agreement will not negatively impact individual's fundamental freedoms, or result in the harassment of consumers [2].
Dan Bull represents the anti-A.C.T.A. point of view in his own style below [3]:
While the methods of negotiation could be improved, it is desirable that something as amorphous as intellectual property rights enforcement is approached at the level of international cooperation. The major benefit of any kind of agreement such as A.C.T.A. is a perhaps a quantum of certainty that the law is sorely lacking right now, which would benefit both rights holders and content users alike.
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