Obama signals support for copyright treaty

President Barack Obama offered a subtle nod this week to an expansive international copyright treaty that has riled some activists and federal lawmakers.

That draft accord -- called the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) -- would essentially require Internet-service providers to take a greater role in finding and disabling access to pirated content online, or risk legal liability. The president displayed brief support for that draft document in a joint statement Wednesday with Mexican President Felipe Caldron, who is visiting Washington this week for the White House's second state dinner. Toward the end of the release Wednesday summarizing the two presidents' discussions, they said they had "reaffirmed their commitment to the negotiation of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement and charged their administrations to conclude these negotiations soon."