Secret global trade talks spur civil libertarians' outrage at Obama

Civil liberties and consumer groups are furious at President Barack Obama for supporting secret international trade negotiations that could wind up rewriting U.S. copyright law. At issue is the International Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), which various nations have been hammering out this week at secret talks in Seoul, South Korea. Earlier this week, negotiation materials leaked out of the hush-hush hearings, shocking and alarming civil libertarians and privacy watchdogs.

The groups, which include some of the most influential voices on internet policy, voiced "deep concerns about the lack of transparency and openness" in a letter sent to Obama on Thursday, the day the parley is set to wrap up.