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The DMCA Is Just The Beginning
dr. greenthumb writes: "With the Sklyarov-case still fresh in memory, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) wants to rally up against the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) in order to preserve privacy and freedom of speech. The FTAA is currently negotiating agreements with several countries in the Western hemisphere concerning, among other issues, intellectual property rights. According to the EEF, the FTAA organization is considering treaty language that mandates nations pass anti-circumvention provisions similar to the DMCA, except the FTAA treaty grants even greater control to publishers than the DMCA."
Excellent reply to WIPO, Congress, FTAA, and anyone who wants to support the DMCA and its offspring.
BTW, lame first post
First Seattle, then Quebec City. Boring. Protestors can't come up with any more interesting arguments.
Even older news: Most of the industrialized world's leaders signed treates in 1996 (!) to enforce copyright law and property law. The FTAA has little to do with these treaties that were signed yonks ago.
I wish the Jihad here would find a way to quash the myth that the open source movements are about taking property rights away. You are behaving exactly like they say you are and it isn't helping you any.
Use Evolution instead of Outlook? Bewa
The link should point to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which is different that the Eisenhower Fellowships.
Cheers,
RP
I wrote representative Bentsen (D) and senators Gramm (R) and Hutchison (R). Who did YOU write to? (all of you, not just the parent author)
More practically, I got a reply from Bentsen yesterday. While his wording was the "politically correct" middle of the road drivel the average politician spouts, it seemed a little on the intelligent side. I am slightly encouraged by this letter, though it is fairly certainly a stock letter, and I know he's aware of one constituent's view of the issue.
I'm still waiting to hear from my senators, but mainly just for confirmation. As they're republican, I expect less acceptable view on the issue (with them leaning toward big money interests), but at least they'll know MY opinion, and I'm responsible, in part, for their job security. You people (well, the americans in the audience) should try writing the people whose salaries you pay. It gives you a short-lived feeling of power at the very least, you may even get warm-fuzzies.
funny munging
Since /.'s new lameness filter is, well, lame, and won't let me just post this list of email addresses, I'll post a link instead.
Those of us in Canada should write concise, polite emails to these people, outlining your objections to the expansion of draconian copyright legislation to our country.
Make your voice heard, but do it in a civil way. Spam and mail bombs will not win people over to our side.