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Letter to the President on ACTA Transparency

We are writing to express our deep concerns about the lack of transparency and openness surrounding the negotiations on a new Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (“ACTA”). The undersigned organizations represent a diverse array of public interest groups encompassing library, consumer, creator, and civil liberties organizations.

On the first full day of your term as President, you issued memoranda pledging increased openness and participation in executive decision-making and directing agencies to “take affirmative steps to make information public.” We applaud your promise of a more transparent, collaborative and participatory government. The continuing development of the Open Government Initiative indicates a strong commitment to applying these principles in practice, and your proclamation on World Trade Week further affirms this commitment to transparency, specifically in the process of negotiating trade agreements.

However, multiple aspects of ACTA fail to meet these standards.