Anti-ACTA protests spread across Europe

View ACTA Protests Worldwide in a larger map. Created by stoppacta-protest.info.

Thousands took to the streets in cities across Europe on Saturday to protest the controversial Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, also known as ACTA.

ACTA is a global effort to protect intellectual property rights by banning counterfeit goods and online piracy. Critics say it would severely limit net freedom and could also have life-threatening consequences when it comes to pharmaceutical and agricultural patents.

While at least 30 governments initially signed the the agreement, some European countries are putting their decisions on hold. Most recently, Germany announced on Friday that it would delay signing the accord in order to “carry out further discussions.”

Here’s a look at Saturday’s protests: