Since the recent launch of ACAP, the new standard to protect the intellectual property of anyone publishing on the Web, the blogosphere has been full of comments about it -- and not all of them have been polite.

In addition to a great deal of supportive commentary, the Automated Content Access Protocol has faced an inevitable flurry of criticism. ACAP and its supporters, which includes the World Association of Newspapers, are facing the issues head-on and answering their critics.

Publishers globally are being encouraged to implement ACAP, which will allow anyone who publishes content on the Web to express individual access and use policies in a language that search engine robots can read and understand. Details about the standard, and its quick and easy implementation, can be found at www.the-acap.com.

ACAP has been developed at the initiative of WAN, the International Publishers Association and the European Publishers Council in close collaboration with search engines to protect the intellectual property of anyone wishing to make content available online.

But it is inevitable that criticism follows any project that raises the question of copyright in cyberspace. Some, though not all, of the critical commentary has been thoughtful and well-informed, and ACAP is now responding to these questions.

The most common criticisms are answered here.