"The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) is a multilateral trade agreement being negotiated, mostly between OECD countries, in total secrecy. 7th round of negociations from Jan 26th to Jan 29th 2009, in Mexico, is a perfect occasion for exposing ACTA and raise awareness bout how dangerous it is for our fundamental freedoms..."

A Brazilian official said that the agreement was not legitimate, negotiated by a closed group without considering all of the issues at play.

ACTA's bias and lack of legitimacy should compel the legislative bodies of the negotiating countries to strongly oppose its ratification and acknowledge the necessity to reform patent and copyright law.

On Saturday October 1st, eight countries (the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan, Morocco, New Zealand, Singapore, and South Korea) signed the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) in Tokyo, Japan.

The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) isn't just another secret treaty - it's a way of life. If ACTA passes in anything like its current form, it will create an entirely new international secretariat to administer and extend the agreement.

"ACTA, a treaty designed to attack the rights of computer users in some 40-odd countries -- and others later -- is encountering increasing opposition. ACTA threatens, in a disguised way, to punish Internet users with disconnection if they are accused of sharing, and requires countries to prohibit software that can break Digital Restrictions Management (DRM), also known as digital handcuffs.."

Whatever the final text will be after the next negotiation rounds, the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement will remain an illegitimate agreement, by its elaboration process (beyond any democratic control) as well as its content (further strengthening of an outdated set of legislation).

The leaks confirm everything that we feared about the secret ACTA negotiations..including obligations on ISPs to adopt Three Strikes Internet disconnection policies, and a global expansion of DMCA-style TPM laws.act

Not only that, but aspects of this judgement are relevant to what is being suggested for ISPs in the Anti Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) that New Zealand and other countries are currrently negotiating in secret.