MEPs Almost Kill Controversial ACTA
Bulgaria in EU | June 21, 2012, Thursday // 13:19| views
Protesters carry banners as they gather in downtown Sofia to protest the controversial international Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), in Sofia, Bulgaria, 11 February 2012.EPA/BGNES
The European Parliament's committee for international trade has rejected the much debated Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA).
A total of 19 MEPs voted against ACTA, while 12 supported it in Thursday's vote in Brussels.
Earlier on Thursday, the committee also voted 19-12 to ignore European Commission calls to postpone voting until the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has decided on ACTA's legality.
The final vote in Parliament will come in next month's plenary session in Strasbourg.
For ACTA to enter into force in the EU, the agreement has to be ratified by the European Parliament, the Council and all member states. Several member states, including Bulgaria, have already said they will not ratify ACTA.
ACTA, abbreviation for Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, mandates that signatory countries implement legislation to criminalize certain types of downloading content such as music and movies, from sites not sanctioned by rights owners, such as torrent trackers.
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