Privacy and data protection
“Intellectual property must be protected, but it should not be placed above individuals’ rights to privacy and data protection.”
Peter Hustinx, European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS), issued a report on the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), claiming that it could prove unworkable under current European Union data protection laws.
Democracy and transparency
“ACTA is legislation laundering on an International level of what would be very difficult to get through most Parliaments”
Stravros Lambrinidis, Member of European Parliament, S and D group from Greece.
Internet service providers liability
“Any measures concerning people’s right to go online need to be brought in through the proper democratic channels, not via self-regulation, and made into EU law”.
Andrea D’Incecco, public affairs manager from EuroISPA (Business association of European Internet Service Providers).
“ACTA, by putting pressure on Internet service providers opens the door to private ‘three strikes’ approaches and generalized surveillance of the Net.”
Françoise Castex, Member of European Parliament, S and D, France.
“Third party liability for Internet Server Providers is like making the post office responsible for what is inside the letters they send.”
Alexander Alvaro, Member of European Parliament, Germany, ALDE.
Freedom of expression
“It is extremely regrettable that democratic debate has been eliminated from talks that could have a major impact on such a fundamental freedom as free expression.”
Reporters without Borders, European Parliament Sakharov Prize Winners
Access to medicine
“We can only assume that the final text could do great harm in developing countries and undermine the balance between the
protection of intellectual property and the need to provide affordable medicines for poor people.”
Rohit Malpani, OXFAM, from a press release criticising possible impact of ACTA.
“We are in danger of ending up with the worst of both worlds, pushing IP rules, which are very effective at stopping access to life-saving drugs but are very bad at stopping or preventing fake drugs.”
Michelle Childs of Médecins Sans Frontières, Nobel Peace Prize winners, has issued a very critical statement on ACTA.
Compiled by TransAtlantic Consumer Dialogue