ACTA shielded from sunlight as court rejects FOIA claim

A request filed by various public-interest groups asking that details of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Act be revealed to the public has been denied by an official of the Office of the US Trade Representative. Knowledge Ecology International made seven document requests, all of which were denied "in the interest of national security."

Nice transparency, one might snark, though Ars Technica points out that the acting US Trade Representative (Peter Allgeier) is an appointee of the previous administration. ACTA, which has been under negotiation since that administration, has been made available to an assortment of lobbyists and other corporate entities. Other organizations besides KEI calling for more transparency for ACTA negotiations include the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Public Knowledge, and the European Parliament. (Cloud-over-sun image by Simon Eugster, via Wikimedia Commons.)