Long negotiated under a veil of secrecy, the draft language of the controversial Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement is set for publication this week.
Digital-rights groups have greeted the announcement with cautious optimism, though it remains unclear how receptive the negotiating parties will be to public comments.
At the same time, those same groups are heartened by the revelation that the countries have agreed to leave out three-strikes provisions and language that would require border agents to search the contents of electronic devices.
eSecurity Planet has the story on the latest developments in the ACTA negotiations and the reaction of some rights groups closely watching the proceedings.
Countries negotiating a major cross-border agreement to crack down on intellectual property crimes have agreed to release previously secret draft language of the controversial accord this week.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has confirmed plans to publish the draft text of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) this Wednesday, following a series of successful negotiations in the eighth round of talks on the agreement last week in New Zealand.
USTR spokeswoman Nefterius McPherson said that the negotiating countries are very close to a final deal, though differences remain over the language concerning enforcement mechanisms for dealing with trademark counterfeiting and copyright piracy.