European Parliament voted against the ratification of anti-piracy agreement ACTA

     The European Parliament in Strasbourg voted against ratification of anti-piracy agreement ACTA toughens penalties for copyright infringement.     International agreement ACTA (The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement) provides for the establishment of the international association, which is a complex hierarchical system of enforcement of copyright in the developed countries. 
     In 2008, the European Commission, the U.S., Australia and the Government of a number of other countries have confirmed their participation in the preparation of ACTA, however, refused to publish the text of the preliminary contract and to discuss details.     
     October 5, 2011 ACTA signed the U.S., Australia, Canada, Japan, Morocco, New Zealand, Singapore and South Korea. January 6, 2012 to the Agreement of the European Union, but it has yet to be ratified by member countries. The European Commission, which is the highest executive authority of the EU, however, asked the supreme court to assess compliance of union agreements other obligations of the EU, in particular, the European Charter of Fundamental Rights. 
     Up to an opinion by the court ACTA ratification by the parliaments of the EU countries have signed it was suspended. That the agreement came into force in the EU, it should ratify the European Parliament and all States signatories. After this agreement was to give final approval to the EU Council.     Meanwhile, a number of member countries postponed the ratification of the agreement in the face of a wave of civil protests in the streets, as well as to the increasing cyber-attacks on websites of government agencies.     

     In February, a protest against the treaty took place in Germany, Austria, Finland, France, Slovakia and Bulgaria. ACTA opponents agree that the program is an integral part of the process of globalization, and the bulk of the profits from its adoption will have major international corporations. At the time of ratification of the agreement delayed in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Germany. 
     In the event that ACTA will allow, for example, customs officials inspect laptops, MP3-players and cell phones for storing files they related to the violation of the copyright law. It also assumes the introduction of new requirements for Internet service providers, which include partial disclosure of information related to user activity, and tool use network security.
      Currently, similar measures have been adopted in the U.S., where the customs may ask you to provide your laptop to see specialists. If your hard drive is encrypted, you are prompted for a password. If you refuse - you can refuse entry.