European ISPs voice concern over ACTA

ACTA in the news again. EuroISPA, the trade association representing ISPs in Europe, have released a statement warning that keeping a tight lid on the negotiations conflicts with the open and innovation-friendly nature of the Internet.

ACTA, the Anti Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, is a plan to reduce the burden of illegal goods on the legitimate economy, be they fake perfumes, medicines or downloaded music and films. It is currently being negotiated by, amongst others, the US, the EU, Canada, Japan, South Korea and Australia.

Last month, the topic of online piracy was discussed, a topic heavily debated in all corners of the Internet. Leaks in the negotiations have revealed that the US have proposed a clause that would bestow third party liability for ISPs when their customers engage in file-sharing. This, according to the ISPs, will not only harm their business and their customers, but also is contrary to EU regulations protecting online businesses.

Stating, in the words of EuroISPA’s president Malcolm Hutty: “such heavy-handed measures would create a serious danger of undermining and restricting the open innovative space that lies at the very heart of the Internet’s success. This agreement would have a negative impact on Internet users without having an appreciable impact on fighting illicit use of copyrighted material.” ISPs fear that under ACTA, it will become their responsibility to enforce the new rules, requiring them to police, and possibly cut off, their customers.