Over the vocal protests of opponents, 22 European nations signed the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) on Thursday. A statement by the Japanese foreign ministry, which hosted the signing ceremony, indicated that the remaining EU member states were expected to sign the agreement « on the completion of respective domestic procedures. » The United States, Canada, Japan, and several other nations signed the agreement in October. […]
The move sparked protests in Europe. Thousands of Poles took to the streets in protest, and more than a dozen members of the Polish parliament donned Guy Fawkes masks to express their displeasure at the signing. […]
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2012/01/opponents-denounce-signing-of-acta-without-adequate-debate.ars