The EU has rejected the global Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), signalling that the European Parliament may soon use new-found rights to derail an international trade agreement.

The EU Parliament said that the vague wording of the law and disproportionate fines led them to oppose the bill.

The ACTA deal, in the pipeline since 2008, aimed to reduce intellectual property theft, to crack down on fake consumer goods, medicines and digital file-sharing of pirated software and music.

The European Commission, had supported the treaty, which it says would target large-scale operations which enable illegal digital file-sharing.

The proposed legal crackdown had sparked furious protests, especially in Eastern Europe, by opponents who say it would censor free expression and criminalise people who download files for personal use.

The vote is a signal that the EU will reject ACTA in a final vote on 4 July.

This is the first time the European Parliament has voted against an international trade agreement since an increase in its powers in 2008.

Rejection will preclude any EU member state from signing up on its own.

Politicians in parliament debated in particular the relevance of music copyright.

The European Commission, which negotiated the deal on behalf of the European Union, has asked the highest EU court to decide if ACTA dents people's privacy.

A ruling could take up to a year.