ABSTRACT

This chapter begins by providing an overview of the sections of Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) relevant to the consideration of the response to the Agreement, highlighting the perceived secretive and anti-democratic nature of negotiations, and identifying concerns on the part of academics regarding the substantive provisions of the Agreement. The considers the position of the Commission and industry representatives on ACTA, demonstrating the strong support for its quick ratification and entry into force. It provides an overview of the development of an Anti-ACTA resistance movement, appearing to originate in Poland and other former Soviet states, in which social media such as Facebook was used to both provide information and coordinate protests against the Polish signing of the Agreement. The final section of analysis will expand upon the reasons for the success of this activist network, by considering the way in which the transformation of dominant discourses allowed for the rejection of ACTA.