There was tension and drama in the European Parliament today, as three committees today gave the thumbs down to ACTA. An attempt by the EPP to subvert the Civil Liberties vote under the cloak of a technical change was firmly rejected. This is not the final vote, but it gives a strong indication of the European Parliaement position.

Another interesting twist on the ACTA story came out of the European Parliament London seminar last week. The rights-holders, who seem to be struggling to hold their nerves at the moment, are now saying that ACTA 'only' applies to 'commercial scale' activities. But this is precisely one of ACTA's problem points, according to the European Parliament's rapporteur.

Lawyers at the European Parliament have given the thumbs up to the plan for an ACTA vote, possibly this side of the summer holidays. The rapporteur, David Martin, confirmed the position, at a recent event in London.

Does the European Commission President, Jos? Manuel Barroso, know the difference between a lobby group and a European Parliament committee? Or is the Eurozone crisis getting his head into a muddle? Why does he refer to the rights-holder lobby group International Trade Mark Association, when he really means the International Trade Committee? More importantly, how much has his office been in contact with rights-holders who want ACTA?

In the latest spat between the European Union institutions over ACTA, a report by the Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) is turning into a political football. Iptegrity can reveal that the European Commission will hit back at the EDPS, whose recent report was critical of ACTA from a fundamental rights viewpoint. The first round was fired in a meeting of the European Parliament's Civil Liberties (LIBE) committee, which has had a sneak preview of the - as yet unpublished - Commission riposte.