Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement

The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, or ACTA, was a proposed international treaty to set common standards for enforcing intellectual property rights against counterfeit goods, pirated copyright works and online copying. It was negotiated by a group of countries including the United States, Japan, the European Union and others, largely in secret, which drew criticism. Opponents argued that it could threaten freedom of expression, privacy and access to medicines, and in early 2012 it provoked large street protests in Poland and other European countries. The European Parliament rejected it in 2012, by a large majority, which effectively killed it in the EU. The agreement never came into force, and the controversy influenced later debates about internet regulation.

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