Digital Rights Groups Sue for Access to Secret ACTA Treaty

After signing onto a letter earlier this week that demanded access to draft work being done by Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) negotiators, the EFF and Public Knowledge took their complaints about the secret treaty a step further today and filed a lawsuit to gain access to negotiating materials.

The suit (PDF), filed in the DC federal court, uses the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) as the basis for its demands. After reading the leaked Wikileaks documents on the treaty, the EFF and Public Knowledge made a FOIA request to the US Trade Representative. In a letter dated June 11, the groups asked for a comprehensive list of materials dealing with ACTA, including participant lists, agendas, presentations, memoranda, and correspondence.