ACTA Talks in Mexico to Address Transparency Concerns
Negotiators from the U.S., the E.U. and nine other countries aim
to draft an anticounterfeiting trade agreement (ACTA) by the end
of this year.  They have been meeting behind closed doors over
the past two years, and although the treaty they are crafting
will affect almost every single user of the Internet, none of
the draft text has been made public. Only firms that have signed
stringent nondisclosure agreements have been allowed to see it.
But leaks about the draft text emerged late last year, revealing
that it goes way beyond fighting counterfeiting. Proposals under
discussion include severing the Internet connection of illegal
file-sharers and making ISPs (Internet service providers) liable
for copyright infringements by their customers.  If adopted in
the final text, the liability clause would open up ISPs and
telecom operators to lawsuits from owners of content, such as
music and movies, and would force them to snoop on their
subscribers in order