Last week, the European Parliament decisively rejected the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement by 478 votes to 39. Now, it looks like Australia could follow suit, with a joint Parliamentary committee recommending against ratification:
"It is prudent," the Parliament's Joint Standing Committee on Treaties recommends, "that ACTA not be ratified by Australia until this committee has received and considered the assessment of the economic and social benefits and costs of the agreement, the Australian government has issued the notice of clarification in relation to the terms of the treaty as recommended in this report and the ALRC [Australian Law Reform Commission] has reported on its inquiry into Copyright and the Digital Economy.It looks like people are realising that the US intellectual property regime is toxic and that there's no democratic mandate for it. The question now is when our government will follow suit..."In considering its recommendation to ratify ACTA, a future Joint Standing Committee on Treaties should have regard to events related to ACTA in other relevant jurisdictions, including the EU and the US," its report says.
[Hat-tip: DPF]
