Slovenia rejects Internet treaty

LJUBLJANA, Slovenia (AP) -- Slovenia's government is halting the ratification of an international copyright treaty some Internet users say could lead to online censorship.

Education Minister Radovan Zerjav says the government will freeze the ratification of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement "as soon as possible."

He says that "this agreement is obviously not a matter of understanding, but of major misunderstanding."

Governments throughout Europe have faced public outrage and street protests over the ACTA deal.

Backers say ACTA is needed to harmonize international standards to protect the rights of those who produce music, movies, pharmaceuticals and other piracy-prone products. Opponents argue it will lead to censorship and a loss of Internet privacy.