[A2k] Secret European Union mandate to negotiate ACTA leaked: fears confirmed

[Ante]

Secret European Union mandate to negotiate ACTA leaked: fears confirmed

http://www.digitalmajority.org/forum/t-146371/secret-european-union-mandate=
-
to-negotiate-acta-leaked:fears-confirmed

The Swedish newspaper DN.se received a copy of the secret European Union
mandate to negotiate the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA). Inform=
ed
about the content, Swedish Member of the European Parliament Jens Holms sai=
d
the document has confirmed his fears.

Behind closed doors, the  European Union, United States, Japan and other
governments are negotiating the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement. No
mandates or drafts are published. The ACTA will contain new rules for the
enforcement of copyrights, trade mark rights, patents and other so called
=E2=80=9Cintellectual property=E2=80=9D rights. Public interest organisatio=
ns are concerned
ACTA may limit access to medicines, limit access to the internet, give pate=
nt
trolls free reign and harm the most innovative sectors of the economy.

"The document has confirmed my fears. They want to basically stop everythin=
g
that can be spread on the Internet, all forms of trademark infringement, an=
d
even medicine. It is much more far reaching than I thought. I wonder, final=
ly,
what is not covered by ACTA?" said Jens Holm to DN.se.

In the EU, preparatory legal texts have to be published. Informed about the
content of the mandate, MEP Jens Holm said he regards the ACTA as legislati=
on.

The ACTA is used to create legislation without democratic control. The
European Council said it may adopt the ACTA during parliamentary vacation.

The concerns stated by public interest groups are now confirmed by the secr=
et
mandate. The ACTA may limit the freedoms and rights of all Europeans and
millions or billions outside the union.

Apparently, the control undemocratic forces have over Europe is so far
reaching that DN.se did not dare to publish the mandate itself.

Now, if we are all very quiet, we can hear Robert Schuman turn over in his
grave.



--
vriendelijke groet,
cordialmente,

Ante