The European Union wants the United States and other countries to publish a draft global anti-piracy agreement to end rumours that it advocates cutting off internet access for users caught illegally downloading copyrighted video.

European internet service providers said last month that they were alarmed by leaked details of the secret talks that they feared could lead to criminal sanctions on the "three-strikes” model adopted by France. Under this legislation, internet use would be tracked and users caught downloading would be warned twice before their internet access would be cut off for a year. Britain is considering similar legislation.

Internet service providers worry about legal changes that could make them liable when users break the law and warn that this would damage users' rights to privacy and freedom of expression and ultimately stifle innovation and competition in Europe's internet industry.

EU trade official Luc Pierre Devigne told a European Commission public hearing that the EU would seek to get the US, Canada, Mexico, South Korea, Japan and others to agree on publishing a draft text of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement at April talks in New Zealand.

He said details of international talks are usually secret, but that the EU was anxious to assure European users that it was nott planning to strike a global deal that would force any changes to EU law. "We want to have the negotiating document released so that rumours can be dispelled," he said. "Three strikes is no one's idea, no one has ever proposed that."

Story filed 28.03.10