Germany refuses to sign copyright treaty

Feb 10, 2012, 16:56 GMT

Berlin - Germany will not immediately sign an international copyright treaty, despite having already agreed to it in principle, the Foreign Ministry said Friday, after protests over its implications for internet users.

The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), initiated by the United States and Japan, seeks to protect intellectual property rights, 'including infringement taking place in the digital environment.'

Latvia, Poland and the Czech Republic have also delayed ratifying the treaty, which was signed by the European Union and 22 of its 27 member states in January. German had said at the time it would also sign.

But since January, the treaty has been the subject of widespread protest, mainly by internet users, who say it will require signatory countries to punish even non-commercial breaches of copyright with criminal prosecution and jail terms.

Justice Minister Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger, who last week rejected protesters' complaints, had now voiced concerns, the Foreign Ministry said.

The minister said Friday that she was pleased that a debate about ACTA was being 'led so openly and enthusiastically.'

'It's necessary that all the facts are on the table,' she said. The European Parliament should now debate the law and 'decide whether it wants ACTA or not,' she added.

Tens of thousands of people were expected to take part in protests in 60 German cities on Saturday, while the international coordinator of the campaign group Stopp ACTA told dpa that it expected 150,000 to 200,000 protests to take place worldwide.

Poland stopped the ratification process of the treaty last week after nationwide protests and attacks on government websites. Similar attacks led the Czech government to suspend its ratification of the treaty earlier this week.

Despite the EU's signature, it still needs ratification by the European Parliament and the individual states before it can come into effect.

ACTA foresees that internet providers divulge details such as a user's IP address so that people can be identified in cases of copyright infringement.