Consumer groups blast Obama's secret trade talks

Consumers groups have accused President Barack Obama of favoring a global trade agreement -- currently being negotiated in secret on national security grounds -- that would include harsh provisions similar to France's "three strikes" law, which cuts off internet access for repeated digital piracy. In a letter sent to Congress, the consumer groups expanded on previous concerns expressed by civil libertarians over the secrecy of the treaty -- the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) -- and lambasted the substance of the agreement.

Not surprisingly, Rupert Murdoch, the powerful media mogul, expressed support for a three-strikes-like regime. "There's a lot of movement to get that put in America and become a world standard," Murdoch told Sky News, "because in the music industry today, it's very, very hard for young talent to get started and established."