ACTA -- A Patriot Act For the Internet

[cbhope]

This week 40 or so countries are meeting in South Korea to consider text for a new international agreement on the enforcement of intellectual property rights. It is called the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA). The term "counterfeiting" is designed to demonize the agreement critics as friends of organized crime, much like the name of the Patriot Act seemed better than the "Elimination of Civil Liberties Act." It is really an agreement that addresses a wide range of intellectual property enforcement issues -- involving patents, copyrights, trademarks and other IPR. (Details here)

If you are a lowly member of the public, the text is secret. The names of persons who attend the meetings are secret. The titles of the documents are secret. If you represent a big firm or law firm -- pretty much any big firm it seems, the U.S. government will show you documents after you sign a non-disclosure agreement - curbing your right to speak out on the contents of the documents you see.



http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-love/acta----a-patriot-act-for_b_345000.html

[cbhope]

Secret copyright treaty leaks. It's bad. Very bad.

http://www.boingboing.net/2009/11/03/secret-copyright-tre.html

More on secret copyright treaty: your kids could go to jail for noncommercial music sharing

http://www.boingboing.net/2009/11/04/more-on-secret-copyr.html

Global Reactions to ACTA

http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/4520/125/

The Leaked ACTA Document

http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/4516/125/

[watcher2005]

The corpocracy continues.

[CANDYKISSES]

WOW CB, what will be next? I'm off to read but wanted to thank you for the links and comment on the "CORPOCRACY". :thumbdown:JMO

[ninetoes]

WOW CB, what will be next? I'm off to read but wanted to thank you for the links and comment on the "CORPOCRACY". :thumbdown:JMO

What will be next? all media forms will be controlled by the govt. For our own good, of course. In my opinion.

[LisaM22]

hopefully the usa will not agree to this, but corporations seem to rule in this day and age

[ninetoes]

hopefully the usa will not agree to this, but corporations seem to rule in this day and age

The US is one of the main supporters of this.

[Lifeguard]

I have to agree with all of you on this.... ACTA is very scary in what power it might give to governments around the world, all just to protect intellectual property rights, while stifling dissent.

I want ACTA to be changed before it goes into effect.

[ninetoes]

I have to agree with all of you on this.... ACTA is very scary in what power it might give to governments around the world, all just to protect intellectual property rights, while stifling dissent.
I want ACTA to be changed before it goes into effect.

BBM

I think that is the main purpose. In my opinion, of course.

[Lifeguard]

BBM

I think that is the main purpose. In my opinion, of course.

No, I cannot agree that 40 nations all got together to stifle dissent on the internet, that's too paranoid for my imagination to get around.

Well, I think the major impetus behind this is copyright infringement, and protection of Hollywood and other artists' intellectual property. But the UNINTENDED consequence will be to stifle free speech and dissent in certain areas, particularly with regards to the performing arts.

[ninetoes]

No, I cannot agree that 40 nations all got together to stifle dissent on the internet, that's too paranoid for my imagination to get around.

Well, I think the major impetus behind this is copyright infringement, and protection of Hollywood and other artists' intellectual property. But the UNINTENDED consequence will be to stifle free speech and dissent in certain areas, particularly with regards to the performing arts.

If that is all the intent is, why would the president invoke national security as a reason for not discussing the issue?

[Lifeguard]

If that is all the intent is, why would the president invoke national security as a reason for not discussing the issue?

Do you have a link that Obama has something to do with this? The entire process was started well back in 2007 under the Bush administration.

"The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) is a proposed plurilateral trade agreement which is claimed by its proponents to be in response "to the increase in global trade of counterfeit goods and pirated copyright protected works."[1] The scope of ACTA is broad, including counterfeit physical goods, as well as "internet distribution and information technology" In October 2007 the United States, the European Community, Switzerland and Japan announced that they would negotiate ACTA. Furthermore the following countries have joined the negotiations: Australia, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Mexico, Jordan, Morocco, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, Canada and the European Union"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Counterfeiting_Trade_Agreement

[ninetoes]

"Civil liberties and consumer groups are furious at President Barack Obama for supporting secret international trade negotiations that could wind up rewriting U.S. copyright law."

"For years, ACTA has been cloaked in mystery, with the Bush administration maintaining that such secrecy was required. Obama took this a step further, arguing last spring that a draft of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement and related materials are "classified in the interest of national security pursuant to Executive Order 12958." Executive Order 12958, issued in 1995, allows material to be classified only if publication would inflict "damage to the national security and the original classification authority is able to identify or describe the damage."

http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/11/05/secret-acta-global-trade-talks-spur-civil-libertarians-outrage/

[LisaM22]

The US is one of the main supporters of this.

US mega corporations maybe, but not the people of the US

why not have a vote, or is that reserved for taking rights away from minorities

[ninetoes]

US mega corporations maybe, but not the people of the US

why not have a vote, or is that reserved for taking rights away from minorities

You would have to ask the President, since he says it is a matter of national security. Most thing that fall under that blanket are not put to vote. in my opinion, of course

[snookums1]

This was all started a number of years ago. I think 2007. The agreement was supposed to be ended before the end of 2008 but more things from different countries were added for consideration and it was decided to prolong it. I am surprised you are just now hearing about it. It has been an issue liberals have been trying to fight for quite some time now.

[snookums1]

The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) is a proposed plurilateral trade agreement which is claimed by its proponents to be in response "to the increase in global trade of counterfeit goods and pirated copyright protected works."[1] The scope of ACTA is broad, including counterfeit physical goods, as well as "internet distribution and information technology".[2]

In October 2007 the United States, the European Community, Switzerland and Japan announced that they would negotiate ACTA. Furthermore the following countries have joined the negotiations: Australia, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Mexico, Jordan, Morocco, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, Canada and the European Union.[2][3][4] The ACTA negotiations have been conducted in secrecy until on 22 May 2008 a discussion paper about the proposed agreement was uploaded to Wikileaks, and newspaper reports about the secret negotiations quickly followed.[4][5][6][7]

Negotiations were originally anticipated to conclude by the end of 2008,[1] however in November 2008 the European Commission stated that negotiations were likely to continue in 2009.[
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Counterfeiting_Trade_Agreement

So, lets all get on the bandwagon and blame our current president, why don't we?

[Lifeguard]

The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) ............
So, lets all get on the bandwagon and blame our current president, why don't we?

Started under Bush, Obama is certainly the right guy to blame. Everything wrong in the world is Obama's fault. I guess you didn't get that Ann Coulter memo!

LOL

[ninetoes]

Started under Bush, Obama is certainly the right guy to blame. Everything wrong in the world is Obama's fault. I guess you didn't get that Ann Coulter memo!

LOL

I dont know, I somehow thought Obama was going to be the one to actually stand up against such policies. So far, he has supported the patriot act, and has added to the ACTA. But perhaps you are right, he really isnt the one to effect real change. Just more "Bush" policies, under a different administration. In my opinion, fo course.

[snookums1]

Started under Bush, Obama is certainly the right guy to blame. Everything wrong in the world is Obama's fault. I guess you didn't get that Ann Coulter memo!

LOL And lack of education only serves to enhance the misinformation. Amazing how people automatically make false assumptions simply because they don't bother to educate themselves. This is something that groups have been fighting for a couple years. Yet they just now became aware and automatically blame Obama even though he had nothing to do with it. ACTA only proves that corporations want to have complete control of everything and everybody.

[BoredMember]

I hadn't heard about this before. I have to go do some more reading now. Thanks for the information.

[ninetoes]

I hadn't heard about this before. I have to go do some more reading now. Thanks for the information.

I had heard about it before, but the leak of information from what was taking place behind closed doors was welcomed inforantion for me. I was also hopeful the new president would denounce such policies.

[LisaM22]

You would have to ask the President, since he says it is a matter of national security. Most thing that fall under that blanket are not put to vote. in my opinion, of course

first of all it was Bush that thought that as this was started under bush, I would though like to hear Obama tell them where they can take their secret plan

[ninetoes]

first of all it was Bush that thought that as this was started under bush, I would though like to hear Obama tell them where they can take their secret plan

I think, if you read my previous post, you would see where I fully acknowledged this was started by Bush. But unlike some, I dont approve when it's Obama, and hate it when it's Bush. Obama is every bit as guilty as Bush on this one, since he supports and continues to push for such actions. In my opinion, of course

[Lifeguard]

first of all it was Bush that thought that as this was started under bush, I would though like to hear Obama tell them where they can take their secret plan

So would I, and I expect that, when this agreement is finalized, we will all know the details, and we can use our democracy to make sure it conforms with our Constitutional rights to free speech and press.