A draft copy of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement has been officially released for the first time, confirming leaks that outlined the treaty’s provisions to counter file-sharing and circumvention of digital rights management.
La Quadrature du Net, the French group that published the leaked version of the pre-Wellington draft, said in a statement that the release « does not legitimise the content of Acta, as transparency is no excuse for political laundering and the circumvention of democratic processes« .
« This release of the text shows how effective the massive mobilisation of citizens around the world can be, » La Quad chief Jérémie Zimmermann said. « All the leaks have shown that Acta could dangerously hinder freedom of expression, access to medicines and innovation in the global knowledge society. This official release suggests that it is still the case.«
The bodies in negotation over Acta have said they intend to reach a final version by the end of this year.
http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/regulation/2010/04/21/acta-copyright-treaty-draft-gets-first-public-airing-40088719/