ACTA will not censor websites, says government

The finance ministry has insited that ACTA - the controversial Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement signed by the Maltese government as part of the EU bloc - will "not censor websites and has nothing to do with how individual citizens use the internet".

The ministry was reacting to comments in the media regarding the signing of the ACTA in Japan. Facebook users have since called a protest for next Saturday, 11 February in Valletta against the agreement, devised by the United States and Japan to make it internet service providers police online content and impose criminal sanctions on copyright infringers.

Over 500 users on the 'Malta is against ACTA' Facebook were surprised to find out Thursday that the Maltese government had signed the treaty, without even announcing it officially.

But in a statement issued this evening, the Maltese government said the agreement is not about checking or monitoring private communication on the internet: "the Trade Agreement will not lead to limitations of fundamental rights, such as the control of laptops of air passengers at borders and the monitoring of internet traffic."

Government added that respect of fundamental rights such as privacy, freedom of expression and data protection is expressively mentioned as a basic principle of the agreement.

"ACTA will not change existing EU legislation. It does not create new Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), but rather concerns procedures and measures to enforce existing rights and to act against large scale infringements, often pursued by criminal organisations.

"This benefits the EU's economy and citizens' rights. ACTA will furthermore ensure that the existing EU high standards of intellectual protection are recognised on a global level," it said.

The finance ministry added that the agreement will ensure that "organised criminals are stopped from stealing intellectual property which costs about €8 billion on an annual basis in losses to European industry and jobs".

Contacted by MaltaToday over ACTA last Saturday, government failed to come back with comments justifying Malta's support of ACTA, and whether the Maltese parliament will be asked to ratify the agreement.

However, the finance ministry this evening said that the EU's economy can only remain competitive if it can rely on innovation, creativity, quality, and brand exclusivity. "These are some of our main comparative advantages on the world market, and they are all protected by Intellectual Property Rights. Protecting Intellectual Property Rights and providing for stronger enforcement means protecting jobs and will ensure that innovative jobs remain in the EU, including in Malta," government said.

The Trade Agreement will be discussed and ratified in national Parliaments as per normal procedures with such agreements. 

The European Parliament will be formally notified to initiate its consent procedure, and only once the European Parliament has given its consent and the national ratification processes in the Member States are completed, will the EU Council of Ministers adopt a final decision.