Summary Box: Activists present anti-ACTA petition
THE PETITION: Activists handed the European Parliament an Internet petition arguing against ratification of a proposed anti-counterfeiting treaty on the grounds it would destroy Internet freedom.
DETAILS: The petition was presented by representatives of Avaaz, an organization that uses the internet to mobilize support for various political issues. The group says it got more than 2 million names.
ABOUT THE TREATY: Proponents argue it would extend to other countries the kinds of protections against counterfeit goods and copyright infringement the EU already offers. Fears that individual Internet users would be targeted prompted protests in several European cities this month.
