Romanians Protest Against Controversial Internet Law

Several thousand people rallied on Saturday in major Romanian cities against a controversial international agreement regulating intellectual property laws.

Braving subzero temperatures, the mostly young protesters displayed banners against the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), complaining that the pact’s wording was too vague and that negotiations to create it had not been transparent.

“We want the European Union countries to reject the agreement which is just limiting the privacy of life. We are against any form of Big Brother on the internet," said one young protester who was wearing a Guy Fawkes mask, the worldwide symbol of groups protesting against politicians, banks and capitalist institutions.

Barely known in Romania just two weeks ago, the agreement has been catapulted into the public eye mainly by online campaigning. Over 40,000 people in Romania have signed different petitions and protests in recent days against ACTA.

Romania and 21 other European states signed the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement on January 26, 2012 in Tokyo, Japan.

In response to protests against ACTA, Romanian officials have said they will organise public debates on the agreement. “The public consultations will take place in Romania before the ratification of the agreement by the parliament, although ACTA doesn’t require changes in national legislation or in community legislation,” said Ioana Muntean, the government’s spokesperson.

“If after the consultations with civil society and if during the debates in the Romanian Parliament it is concluded that this agreement shouldn’t be ratified, this will not happen," she added.

ACTA is a multilateral agreement which aims to establish international standards for intellectual property rights enforcement.