European Parliament Takes Step Toward Burying ACTA

An anonymous reader writes "The European Parliament's INTA Committee yesterday soundly rejected a proposal to refer the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement to the European Court of Justice for review. ACTA critics viewed the proposal as a delay tactic designed with the hope that public opposition to the agreement would subside in the year or two it would take for a court review. The 21-5 vote against the motion means that the INTA committee will conclude its ACTA review later this spring with a full European Parliament vote expected in June or July. The lack of support for ACTA within the European Parliament is now out in the open with multiple parties indicating they are ready to bury it."

Comments

if only the parliament had a binding say

[Anonymous Coward]

Hell, if only there was a way of barring the proposal of "similar legislation" within some timeframe, so it isn't repeatedly proposed in slightly different versions until eventually it passes.

This is the problem with lobbying under democracy - or, in the EU's case, appointment. Like Wikipedia, it's not what's best that remains, nor even what people want - it's whatever is proposed by those with the most resources to push it through.

Re:if only the parliament had a binding say

[cpu6502]

Like how Congress removed SOPA from the table due to opposition, but then immediately proposed a new bill with a new name, but same effects.

And ACTA is still floating around. It's already signed by our lovely president Obama. All it needs now is ratification or rejection by the Senators, but the White House has tabled it. Maybe they plan to enforce it through executive order, instead of through legal means.

Re:if only the parliament had a binding say

[jmac_the_man]

Your civics class is wrong in most cases. A taxation bill has to start in the House. Any other kind of bill can start in either the House or the Senate.

Also, ACTA is a treaty, which only needs ratification by the Senate.

Lets hope not.

[JustAnotherIdiot]

with the hope that public opposition to the agreement would subside in the year or two

After SOPA, PIPA, and now ACTA popping up back to back, I'd like to hope people will be paying more attention for things like this.

Encouraging

[DaMattster]

One could draw the conclusion that Europe is sick of the attempts by the United States at hegemony and is outrightly rejecting ACTA in a way of forcing the United States to legislate its own backyard only. However, SOPA and PIPA have failed miserably and the sue for profit outfit Righthaven was dealt a swift and severe hand of defeat. In fact, they effectively no longer exist. Think of the companies that lost a lot of money due to that scheme. They probably lost more money paying Righthaven for its legal services than they might have lost through perceived copyright violation.

Re:Encouraging

[ThatsNotPudding]

The Content Lords' new business plan is to become one with major ISPs, so the content creators are also the content providers. A key to this is the effective destruction of the FCC by their 'kept women', the GOP. Then, with universal data caps (with exemptions for in-network services such as Comcast's TV on XBox play), the Open Internet will be murdered and replaced with glorified cable TV networks.

Re:IFFA Standards Anyone?

[GameboyRMH]

You're bullshitting us with acronyms, aren't you?

Re:paying more attention

[TaoPhoenix]

You tell me. As an honest quiz question, do you know the fate of PC-FIPA HR1981?

Remember the run up to busting SOPA? PC-FIPA is *worse* yet I have barely seen any articles on it.

And we also almost missed the boat on ACTA too. I think we finally woke up barely in time to stop that one too, but it got a lot farther.