MPAA Letter Regarding Anti-Counterfeiting Treaty

The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) sent a letter to Capitol Hill asking for more transparency for deliberations on the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA). Of the letter, Gigi Sohn, president and co-founder of Public Knowledge, said, "We are pleased to join MPAA in asking for more transparency in the deliberations over the anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA). That request is long overdue. We hope the MPAA sends its message to the U.S. Trade Representative in addition to its letters to Congress. However, we do not agree that the dispute over the backroom deliberations of this agreement are a 'distraction.' The disagreement about public involvement goes to the heart of an open and responsible government. Allowing a select few non-industry observers, including Public Knowledge, to view the contents of the ACTA proposal under strict non-disclosure terms is not a substitute for full public participation. An open and transparent government was one of the first promises made by the Obama Administration. We also take issue with the assertion that opponents of the treaty are 'indifferent' or 'actively hostile,' to use MPAA's terms, to improving worldwide copyright enforcement."