June 28, 2012, 11:15 AM —
EU Trade Commission Karel De Gucht looks on before the opening of the 8th World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference in Geneva December 15, 2011.
REUTERS/Denis Balibouse
European Commissioner Karel De Gucht plans to ignore four ruling bodies voting to kill ACTA, and enforce it anyway.
That message came in a speech the day before the EU International Trade Committee voted to kill ACTA (Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement), declaring it against current European law. Although 22 EU countries have signed ACTA, it has not been ratified. Said De Gucht, quoted in Techdirt, "we will assess at that state how this can be addressed." If ACTA falls, he will re-submit it.
Quoted in GamePolitics, De Gucht said, "A negative vote will not stop the proceedings before the Court of Justice." The European Parliament will vote on ACTA next week, and rejection would be a sweep for ACTA opponents of five major EU groups voting against ACTA. But that doesn't mean ACTA will be killed, if De Gucht continues.
Cynics
"If we can't BUY the law, we'll IGNORE the law."
sehlat on techdirt.com
just exactly who is really paying this nitwit? No really! Follow the money.
Faefrost on gamepolitics.com
Corporatism. It's most similar forebear is feudalism.
Anonymous Coward on techdirt.com
Democracy? Anyone seen democracy?
He doesn't have to be corrupt; he simply has to believe that ACTA is good for Europe. If he's trying to circumvent various obstacles in his way, it's because he thinks they're wrong.
PotatoEngineer on news.ycombinator.com
Yet another step forward in our journey through history. Democracy has had a good run; I wonder what will come next.
AB on techdirt.com
If the EU loses its perception as democratic, chances are that the rich and populous democracies which funds it will be forced to stop doing so.
josteink on news.ycombinator.com
Just politics
There have been any number of worthwhile bills that have died and were subsequently resurrected. Why is that inherently evil? Or does that depend on whether it's an anti-piracy measure?
Anonymous Coward on techdirt.com
I have a dream, break the chains of copy right oppression!
ddrfr33k on gamepolitics.com
Of the three power bases, only the parliament is democratic, and it has almost no powers. I agree. The way we do politics in Europe, birthplace of democracy, is just sick.
s4ndb on news.ycombinator.com
The United States has been strongly pushing ACTA. Do you think they should take a clue from European groups and reject it, or keep pushing as Karel De Gucht says?
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