Bulgarians rally against Internet anti-piracy treaty

A protester pulls a computer monitor bearing the sign ‘ACTA’ during a protest against the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) in downtown Sofia Thousands of Bulgarians staged protests yesterday against an international anti-piracy agreement they fear will curb their freedom to download movies and music for free and encourage Internet surveillance. Most in the crowd of 4,000 people who braved freezing temperatures in the capital Sofia were youths. Some protesters wore the grinning, mustachioed Guy Fawkes masks that have become a symbol of the hacker group Anonymous and other global protests. The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) aims to cut trademark theft and tackle other online piracy. But the accord has sparked concerns, especially in Eastern European countries, over online censorship and increased surveillance by providers. “We want ACTA stopped,” Yanko Petrov, who attended the rally in Sofia, told state broadcaster BNT. “We have our own laws, we don’t need international acts.” Similar protests were held in other Bulgarian cities and towns. The protesters are concerned that the free download of movies and music, a common practice in Bulgaria, might lead to prison sentences if the ACTA is ratified by parliament. They also fear that exchanging material on the Internet may become a crime and say the accord will allow for massive online surveillance. The agreement needs to be ratified by the national parliaments of the European Union members if it is to come into force. (Gulf times)