Protests And Happenings Across The Europe Over Anti-Counterfeiting Trademark Agreement (ACTA)

Posted on Feb 6 2012 - 3:42pm by Editorial Staff

With earlier protests against US SOPA and PIPA – in which we see thousands of websites – both small and large protested against the act – in the similar way protests are taking place but this time in Europe and it is against Anti-Counterfeiting Trademark Agreement (ACTA) – the protest is spreading like a fire – and even February 11 decided as a total turnout day against the ACTA.

BBC accounted the protests in opposition to controversial ACTA bill. A petition calling for the rejection of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) has attracted over 1.75 million signatures. During the weekend on Saturday about 2,000 people marched in the Ljubljana, Slovenian capital.

The Slovenian protests were spearheaded by the country’s ambassador to Japan, Helena Drnovsek Zorko, for which she apologised for her “carelessness” in signing the treaty. She admitted in a lengthy statement that, “I did not pay enough attention.”

“Quite simply, I did not clearly connect the agreement I had been instructed to sign with the agreement that, according to my own civic conviction, limits and withholds the freedom of engagement on the largest and most significant network in human history, and thus limits particularly the future of our children.”

Protests/Happenings against ACTA:

  • Protesters rallied in the Polish cities of Poznan and Lublin to express their anger over the treaty. Lawmakers for the left-wing Palikot’s Movement wore masks in parliament to show their dissatisfaction, while the largest opposition party the right-wing Law and Justice Party called for a referendum on the matter.
  • One French MEP quit the scrutinising process for ACTA in lieu of complain that European Union governments were participating in a “charade”.
  • Copyrightalliance.org was inaccessible after Anonymous set its sights on the Web site for its pro-ACTA stance. Meanwhile, hackers were poking at the sites of the European Parliament and governments in the EU, with plans to dig up information on officials that could be released publicly.
  • On February 11, the world will be out in an unprecedented showing of solidarity against ACTA. Protests are being organized all over the globe to show the European Parliament that they must reject ACTA. The organisation has begun listing Facebook events for each protest around the world, motioning for individuals to create their own and request for them to be added to the list.
  • Hacker group Anonymous hacked the Greek Ministry of Justice website, giving the warning to the authorities that it will take down over 300 media and ministry sites if it does not reverse its course of action.
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