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<div class="story-body"><h1 class="story-header">Acta: Piracy treaty dealt crucial blows in EU votes</h1>
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<span class="byline-name">By Dave Lee</span>
<span class="byline-title">Technology reporter</span>
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<div class="caption body-narrow-width"><span style="width:304px;">After the votes the European Parliament will have the final say on the future of Acta</span>
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<a class="hidden" href="http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-18264856#story_continues_1">Continue reading the main story</a> <h2><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: medium; ">Three key EU committees have voted against the controversial Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (Acta).</span></h2></div><p>The treaty, which aims to curb piracy, was rejected by
committees tasked with assessing its legality and impact on civil
liberties and industry.</p><p>To date 22 member states, including the UK, have signed the treaty - but it is yet to be formally ratified.</p><p>The European Parliament will make its final decision on Acta in July.</p><p>If it passes, the agreement will then come into force across the EU. If rejected, Acta will be scrapped entirely.</p><p>While the agreement covers the counterfeiting of physical
items, such as pharmaceuticals, it is the measures relating to pirated
material on the internet that have caused most concern among
campaigners.</p><p>The agreement suggests setting international standards over
how copyright infringements are dealt with. Possible measures include
possible imprisonment and fines.</p><p>However, critics say it is a potential threat to freedom of speech online.</p><p>The latest round of voting involved the Committee on Legal
Affairs (Juri), Committee on Civil Liberties (LIBE) and the Committee on
Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE). All three voted to express
"opinions against Acta".</p>
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<div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: medium; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Rudi Vansnick</div><div style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: medium; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Courier" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Menlo"><b>——————————————— Internet Society Belgium —————————————————</b></font><br><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Menlo">President - CEO Tel +32/(0)9/329.39.16<br><a href="mailto:rudi.vansnick@isoc.be">rudi.vansnick@isoc.be</a> </font></span></font><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Menlo">Mobile +32/(0)475/28.16.32</font></span></font></div><div style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: medium; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Menlo">Dendermondesteenweg 143 B-9070 Destelbergen BELGIUM</font></span></font></div><div style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: medium; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; "><a href="http://www.internetsociety.be"><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Menlo">www.internetsociety.be</font></a><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Menlo"> "The Internet is for everyone"</font></span></font><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Menlo"><br></font></div><div style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: medium; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Menlo">———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————</font></span></font></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div>
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