EU Delays Vote on Controversial Intellectual Property Law

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 20, 2003 - 7:17am.

Brussels -- The EU has once again delayed a vote on controversial legislation that would increase law enforcement's powers to fight intellectual property crimes. The vote was delayed after several EU ministers said more discussion was needed to fully understand the directive's implications. The proposal has sparked considerable controversy in Europe, where critics claim that it will hinder competition and make many harmless practices a crime. The directive, which has been delayed three times already, was originally scheduled for vote on Sept. 11. That date has now been changed to Nov. 27, but industry experts say a vote before year's end is unlikely.
http://europa.eu.int/news/index_en.htm