PM Tusk stands firm on ACTA despite internet attacks

PM Donald Tusk at the press conference in Warsaw January 24 announcing the ACTA decision. PAP/Radek Pietruszka.

PM Donald Tusk on Tuesday said he had authorised the Polish ambassador to Japan to sign the agreement in Tokyo on behalf of the Polish government on January 26.

Tusk said, however, that the final legislation to be drafted in Poland would not go ahead until there had been assurances on freedoms of internet access.

Any disagreements on the issue would, he said, be dealt with under Polish law.

“I want to clear up a few falsehoods, myths and lies regarding ACTA,” Tusk said, noting that work on the agreement had been "open and transparent," with an inter-ministerial consultation process last year and earlier consultations with copyright organisations.

"Our intention is freedom of the internet,” Tusk said.

He added that Poland had struggled to free itself of an opinion in some countries that it had been sloppy on copyright infringements after the end of communism in 1989.

After the hacking protests which closed down Tusk’s web site over the weekend the Polish government has said that it will enter into a “period of consultation” before deciding whether to ratify ACTA (Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement).

The group that organised the attacks, Anonymous, argues that the proposed new law would increase the power of the state and corporate bodies outside of Poland to interfere in domestic internet services.

ACTA is the non-US equivalent of PIPA and SOPA legislation in the USA, which has incurred the wrath of Wikipedia and Google, amongst others.(pg/jh)