The following is a letter printed in today’s Financial Times of London in response to an article appearing in the button-down pinksheet (Secret deal aims to scuttle internet pirates) that reports on an ever-growing consortium of public interest groups alarmed over the secrecy surrounding the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA).
Piracy campaign is far from secret
From Mr Stanford McCoy.
Sir, The article “Secret deal aims to scuttle internet pirates†(January 29) missed the point of ongoing negotiations towards an Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA).
Intellectual property protection is critical to jobs and exports that depend on innovation and creativity. Trade in counterfeit and pirated products undermines those jobs and exports, exposes consumers to dangerous knock-offs from toothpaste to car parts, and helps fund organised crime.
The ACTA negotiations are one of many international efforts to fight counterfeiting and piracy – not to “transform†already strong US and European Union copyright laws. Far from keeping them secret, governments participating in these negotiations have sought public comments, released a summary of issues under discussion, and enhanced public engagement.
Among other things, the summary states clearly that “ACTA is not intended to interfere with a signatory’s ability to respect its citizens’ fundamental rights and civil libertiesâ€.
The office of the US trade representative has posted ACTA information online at www.ustr.gov/acta. The site includes meeting agendas and links to help the public understand the US approach to key provisions, which is consistent with US law. Other partners have made their own information available about this important work to protect consumers and intellectual property worldwide.
Stanford McCoy,
Assistant United States Trade Representative for Intellectual Property and Innovation
