Some 400 people marched down Valletta’s Republic Street yesterday morning, protesting against a controversial international agreement regulating intellectual property right laws.
The internet was never owned by anyone, and it should remain that way
The protest was one of hundreds held across cities worldwide calling for the agreement to be scrapped.
Many protesters donned V for Vendetta masks – the symbol of decentralised hacking collective Anonymous – and wore T-shirts designed by the Malta Anti-Acta Group, an umbrella organisation which has spearheaded domestic opposition to the Anti-Counterfeit Trade Agreement.
Speakers from various organisations highlighted several concerns, from the agreement’s vague wording to a perceived lack of transparency in negotiations. They all called on the government to withdraw from the agreement.
“No legislation without participation!” was the rallying call of Narcy Calamatta, a spokesman for the European Council of Artists.
Others went further, saying Acta sought to reinforce a property rights model which modern technology had discredited.
The agreement seeks to tighten regulation of copyright or trademark infringement. Proponents say it will protect innovation-driven industries.
Critics argue that its measures to curb online piracy are draconian and that it would cripple developing countries’ access to much-needed generic drugs.
Malta was one of 22 EU countries to have signed Acta last month, signalling their collective intention to ratify the agreement and bring it into EU law.
Mass protests across several EU states have forced governments there to reconsider their pro-Acta stances, with Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Latvia freezing their ratification procedures.
The agreement’s broad nature was reflected in the varied concerns of protesters yesterday. Some said they were afraid of being monitored online, while others felt the agreement lacked transparency and threatened internet freedom.
“This is about drawing a line in the sand. The internet was never owned by anyone, and it should remain that way,” said a 31-year-old Danish illustrator in Valletta.
An entire spectrum of organisations took part in the protests, with most of them speaking briefly to gathered dissidents in St George’s Square.
Representatives from the PN Youth section also took part in the march, with a spokesman telling The Sunday Times that although they were not against Acta in principle, “certain concerns must be further addressed and debated”.
The greatest cheers were reserved for criticism unleashed at MEP Simon Busuttil, who earlier this week argued that Acta’s provisions would protect individual rights-holders.
“No, Dr Busuttil, it’s not our brothers and sisters being protected – it’s big corporations,” a Moviment Graffitti spokesman said.
Yesterday’s protest march was the culmination of a remarkable month for Acta. Barely known just a month ago, controversy around the agreement – fuelled in part by a degree of online scaremongering – has catapulted it into the public eye.
This heightened awareness was reflected by intrigued bystanders watching yesterday’s protest march. “It’s about this new internet thing, isn’t it?” asked one elderly lady.
As marchers paused in front of a well-known Valletta cafe, one waitress told her colleague “someone told me that it goes against data protection”.
Maltese protesters were mirrored by tens of thousands of similar anti-Acta protesters in over 100 cities yesterday, in a worldwide drive to kill the agreement before it is voted on by the European Parliament.
An EP vote on the agreement is due in June, although the Financial Times has reported that a vote could be delayed to spring 2013, giving governments time to quietly ratify the agreement once the current outcry has calmed down.