Comments:ACTA rejected by European Parliament; protesters rejoice

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Something good (nay, great) from the EU.

With respect, one must needs consider intellectual property rights. BUT, one must also consider respect for the populace, in this notion, the right to be free from search and seizure of private documents on digital devices without probable cause. Of course, those who object provide the "evidence" of, "If you have nothing to hide, you won't object". THAT is equal to publishing intimate images of one with one's significant other or even naked clothing of one's minor children, as one has nothing to hide! One cannot go more Orwellian than THAT!

So, there MUST be a balance. The courts have their place in that balance, but the LEGISLATORS have a greater place, as THEY write law, not jurists! One MUST protect real property and intellectual property, however, the rights of ALL come into play against those rights as well. OR one gets rights ONLY for a wealthy class and none for those "below" it. OR one gets rights for corporations, but none for the populace. The STILL open question is, WHEN does the public have a right, rather than a corporate entity? As, ALL concepts go to that root notion. I answer, whoever successfully claimed by right of discovery/acquisition (BOTH being key, rather than one or the other, lest water and gravity be patented)! However, one MUST, per scientific method, demand replication of results by multiple researchers.