Social Democrats Nix ACTA

The Social Democrats will withhold support for the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, the opposition party decided on February 15 after meeting with representatives from three ministries, the chairman of the head of the copyright union and anti-ACTA organizations.

“The approach of ACTA to the matter of copyright in cyberspace does not appear to be in the zeitgeist of the global information age,” said Social Democrat chairman Sven Mikser in a statement. “Copyrights and intellectual property must be protected, including on the internet, but this cannot be done with an agreement signed behind the back of civil society and Parliament. The Social Democrats do not support such a solution.”

Mikser said it was “regrettable” that the Cabinet, as he described it, bypassed the people and their elected representatives in negotiating on an agreement of such magnitude.

Mikser called on Estonia to follow the example of other countries and “take a step back” to reconsider the implications.

“As a leading e-state, Estonia should show initiative to develop such intellectual property protection measures that conform to the needs of the 21st century,” he added.