Europe's publishers welcome commissioner's clarification on crucial IPR Treaty - ACTABRUSSELS, BELGIUM: Welcoming Commissioner Karel De Gucht's clarification yesterday about what ACTA (the controversial Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement) is and is not, Angela Mills Wade, executive director of the European Publishers Council (EPC) said, "The EPC welcomes the European Commission's decision to refer the ACTA Treaty to the Court of Justice." Mills Wade went on to add that "Although this will inevitably lead to a delay in the ratification process, we are confident that the Court will uphold the legality of ACTA's provisions" and also highlighted the clear statements from the Commission in the wake of unprecedented rumour and misinformation that "ACTA will not censor websites or shut them down; ACTA will not hinder freedom of the internet or freedom of speech. ACTA will change nothing about how we use the internet and social websites today since it does not introduce any new rules. ACTA only helps to enforce what is already law today." The EPC has been proactive in putting the record straight that ACTA is a balanced and reasonable treaty that fully respects fundamental rights without changing any part of any EU law. It simply establishes common procedures for dealing with IPR infringements across countries accounting for 50% of world trade. Contrary to aggressive anti-business lobbying, ACTA will have a positive impact on protecting Europe's industries, jobs and people. The Commission statement. |