ACTA - Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement - that was negotiated in secrecy for some time between the US, EU, Canada and some other countries, got really on the nerves of the European parliament and they voted 633 vs. 13 against it.
The treaty was by many seen as an attempt to introduce DMCA-type legislation in most of the developed world without much trouble.
European parliament gives the us a lesson on freedom - The Inquirer (http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1596040/european-parliament-us-lesson-freedom)

I liked this quote the most :)

It is deeply ironic that the Old World has now given the New World a lesson about democracy and freedom. It just goes to show that those middle class terrorists who revolted against their lawful King to create the so-called "land of the free" had no real interest in liberty and were only in it for the money.

Diogen.

President Obama gets involved:
Obama Sides with RIAA, MPAA; Backs ACTA (http://www.osnews.com/story/23002/Obama_Sides_with_RIAA_MPAA_Backs_ACTA)

He probably didn't get the memo that Europeans want to shut ACTA down.
But it goes to show that a) RIAA/MPAA have deep pockets; and b) there won't be any patent reform any time soon...

Too bad...

Diogen.

EDIT: Some more details to this latest development.
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/03/europe-trashes-acta-as-obama-praises-it.ars

Being kicked in the behind with the ACTA disaster, the interested parties in Euroland try a different approach
Squillions will be lost to 'piracy' by 2015 - The Inquirer (http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/feature/1597085/squillions-lost-piracy-2015)

Diogen.

ACTA looks more and more like an iceberg: despite all the leaks, there is much more hidden than seen.
Your life will some day end; ACTA will live on (http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/03/your-life-will-some-day-end-acta-will-live-on.ars)

The chapter makes clear that ACTA will be far more than a standard trade agreement; it appears to be nothing less than an attempt to make a new international institution that will handle some of the duties of groups like the WTO and WIPO.

During the 30s in Soviet Union (Stalin's great purge) the capital punishment was reinstated without any announcement.
Many were executed before they actually knew it was legal...

Diogen.

Hmmmm - "legal." That's a bit of a stretch.

Some really positive developments on the ACTA front:
US' attempt to shove DMCA-style legislation into other countries law system seems to be failing
ACTA text shows US caved in on Internet provisions (http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/10/near-final-acta-text-arrives-big-failure-for-us.ars)

Talk about a cave-in. The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) has been three years in the making, and at one point included language advocating "three strikes" regimes, ordering ISPs to develop anti-piracy plans, promoting tough DRM anticircumvention language, setting up a "takedown" notification system, and "secondary liability" for device makers...That's all gone in today's release of the "near-final" ACTA text

There is still sanity in the world and showing the finger to bullies sometimes works even on an international scene...:)

Diogen.

After a watered down version of ACTA was signed by the developed countries, the US is busy creating the "son of ACTA"
Son of ACTA: meet the next secret copyright treaty (http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/03/son-of-acta-meet-the-next-secret-copyright-treaty.ars)

I believe they have good reasons to expect a "friendlier" atmosphere this time around...:)

Diogen.

EDIT:
And some claim it is much worse than the original
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110311/00104713434/us-proposals-secret-tpp-son-acta-treaty-leaked-chock-full-awful-ideas.shtml