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Wikileaks Releases ACTA Negotiations As "0-Day"
An anonymous reader writes "Wikileaks has released a new document about the ACTA negotiations occurring in Washington over the next three days. This might be the shortest time between authorship of a document and its publication on Wikileaks so far. The brief 3-page memo, dated today, could add quite a bit of oil to the fire of the ACTA debate. It is titled Business Perspectives on Border Measures and Civil Enforcement and it contains a set of proposals to the 'ACTA negotiators' issued by 'Concerned business groups operating in ACTA nations.' Among many highly invasive methods and approaches proposed in this memorandum, the reader can find detailed demands for: full disclosure of relevant information by Customs to trademark holders so that they can mount private investigations; disclosure of identities and other information about copyright infringers; and increased inspection of goods. This document is especially important to raise public awareness on these negotiations and their implications for the future." We've been watching ACTA develop for a few months now.
I thought this was about the ATCA computer form factor. I would love to have a talk about that. But no. The news for nerds site would like to talk about politics. Again.
Is it really that hard to say what the initials stand for just once in the summary?
Part of me thinks that had the technology been around in the mid 1700's the rights of something like Wikileaks would have been enshrined in the constitution by the founding fathers as the ultimate check and balance.
Think Deeply.
so now a collection of 1's and 0's with a filename ending with .mp3 will be searched for as if it were a kilo of coke? this makes me happy to be a gun owner... when the sh1t goes down, you better be ready..
I used to wonder what the end of our free societies would look like.
Now I know it looks like ACTA
The days of Internet freedom are quite sadly coming to an end with these international movements toward information totalitarianism, unless the geeks of the world are able to effectively unite and push back.
Come on now, this is banal. There were then, and are now, laws about defamation, and there was never any intent to make defamation Constitutionally protected; and Wikileaks-posted material is subject to those laws the same as any other speech.
I dunno, I found that quite funny :P
No tyrant thrives when every subject says no.
Can someone else make this ACTA doc available please?
Screw the forms. Not really illegally, but in my state, personal sales don't involve any forms. Unless you consider a federal reserve note a "form".
I always find this troll funny :) I probably don't have enough karma to withstand the incoming wave of overzealous mods, so I'll be posting anonymously.
How can this be allowed in the U.S., which seems to me to be in direct conflict with the 4th Amendment? I'm truly curious, as I said, IANAL. Is there something out there that allows this?
Why do I fear the answer will be "It's true it is against the 4th Amendment. However the U.S. Constitution is pretty much a piece of ass wipe your elected officials use daily anymore."
No sig for you!!
Where's the defamation?
The public servants haven't been such for a long time. If you look at the laws our governments pass, you'll see more power to the corporations, police and big money and less and less protection for the people.
Our countries are being turned in gated communities with all powerful private security force, where 90% of us can't afford to live.
Hmmm, have we seen this somewhere before?
Recommended ACTA Provisions for Civil Enforcement (5) In the case where a right holder claiming infringement does not provide documentation within 24 hours of the claim, does not attend the hearing or does not have suitable evidence to support the claim of infringement, or in the case where it is shown that right holder has made a frivilous claim, the victim of the right holder is entitled to recover costs associated with the defense and direct and indirect loss of business resulting from the claim. These include but are not limited to attorney fees, storage fees, the value of the detained product, the values of any lost business of the victim, that value of any lost business of clients related to the detained products, and any costs necessary for the victim to recover from any defamation related to unsupported detention of the products.
I know it sounds unreasonable, but if my shipment of bag can be halted just on the word of LVMH, and they can force me into the poor house because I have no recourse to get and sell my merchandise for 30 days, then there better be a balance so I can tap their massive corporate assets when they do wrong, including making them pay for the months worth of lost sales.
"She's a scientist and a lesbian. She's not going to let it slide." Orphan Black
wiki + firefox searchbar
Really though, yeah, should have been in the summary as a matter of style, but what do you expect?
open source modern art: laser taggi
ACTA stands for 'Anti Counterfeiting Trade Agreement', but that's not particularly informative, because the worrisome part has nothing to do with counterfeit goods and everything to do with Copyright Cops who fight the RIAA's War on Sharing via thousands of lawsuits.
Be QUIET, or the yanks will move down here.
We don't have paved roads, and we still use outhouses. This state is full of rednecks.
DUH!
Possibly, but more likely this is intended to intercept counterfeit goods like bulk produced CDs, clothing and other fashion accessories, DVDs, etc.
Just like the DMCA was intended to stop people circumventing DRM but was also used by companies to silence people revealing information about them or their products which they wanted to keep quiet? I'm all for giving people the benefit of the doubt but I don't have any doubt at all that this will be abused.
> Well, next time the pirate party is running for election, fucking vote for them then.
Unless I'm mistaken, the US branch of the Pirate Party can be found at: http://www.pirateparty.us./
"ensure that all counterfeit goods are compulsory destroyed...The simple removal of the unlawfully trademark should not be a sufficient course of action"
This just in: The custom office has just hired the comedian, Gallagher, to bring the hammer of justice down on counterfeit goods. An spokesman was quted as saying:"You think you're cute with your mac sticker on your Thinkpad? WHAM!"
"Your sticker of Calvin urinating on an all-american Ford emblem stuck onto your briefcase? WHAM!"
Custom agents are secretly hoping for a shipment of counterfeit watermelons.
Memorandum to: ACTA Negotiators
Subject: Business Perspectives on Border Measures and Civil Enforcement
From: Concerned business groups operating in ACTA nations
Date: July 29, 2008
_______________________________
In light of the upcoming second meeting of the negotiators of the Anti--Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) scheduled for July 29-31 in Washington D.C., the undersigned business associations would like to provide specific perspectives on provisions related to border measures and civil enforcement.
It is our understanding that discussions on border measures are expected to conclude shortly and that civil enforcement will be the subsequent topic in the ACTA negotiations, With this understanding, we have compiled the below recommended provisions, which we find crucial to effectively address border measures and civil enforcement issues in ACTA.
Furthermore, we would like to express our appreciation to the negotiating nations that have engaged the business community in collecting comments on ACTA. We look forward to more opportunities to engage with you and to receive additional details on the negotiations so that we can better provide relevant comments and information.
Recommendations for Border Measures
ACTA, at a minimum, should include provisions for border measures that:
1. Extend greater authority and effective powers to local customs and enforcement authorities and provide ex officio authority for customs authorities to suspend import, export and trans-shipment of goods, including merchandise in free trade zones, which are suspected of being counterfeited or pirated. Significantly increase inspections of exports/imports to find shipments of counterfeit or pirated goods and refer such findings to appropriate authorities for investigation and prosecution.
2. In cases where relevant authorities have seized goods that are counterfeit or pirated, require authorities to inform the right holder of the names and addresses of the consignor, importer, exporter or consignee. Authorities should: (a) provide right holders access to relevant documents and information for use in conducting
[page 2]
private investigations or filing complaints to the courts or other government agencies; (b) provide right holders with sufficient time to commence a proper action pursuant to a seizure/suspension of clearance by customs authorities by introducing provisions that require a time period of at least 20 business days or 31 calendar days from the date of suspension or seizure, whichever is longer, for right holders to commence such action.
3. Establish clear procedures for right holders to initiate suspension by customs authorities of import, export and trans-shipment of suspected IPR infringing goods, including (a) all relevant and reasonably available evidence that is in its control, which is needed to establish a prima facie case for the party's claims or defenses; (b) reasonable security or equivalent assurance sufficient to protect the defendant and the competent authorities to prevent abuse. Bond requirements, however, should be eliminated as a condition to processing counterfeiting cases by customs. At the very least, the requirements should be established at a reasonable level so as not to deter the procedures. Governments should also take appropriate steps to reduce or eliminate the burdens on trademark owners of suffering costs of storage and destruction of counterfeit goods.
4. Require authorities to take appropriate steps to ensure that all counterfeit goods are compulsorily destroyed, definitively removed from channels of commerce, or disposed of with the rights holders' consent where there is no health or safety risk. The simple removal of the unlawfully affixed trademark should not be considered a sufficient course of action.
5. Ensure close cooperation between national customs authorities and the special authorities of their free trade zones or free ports in order
* Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, a proposed multi-lateral intellectual property trade agreement
* Australian Community Television Alliance (ACTA), the industry association representing community television licensees in Australia.
* Acta Diurna, daily Roman official notices
* Acta Arithmetica, number theory publication
* Acta (conciliar), official proceedings of a council of the church or a government, such as the Acts of an Ecumenical Council
* Acta (software), early outliner software
* Acta Sanctae are hagiographical accounts of saints
* Administrative Council for Terminal Attachments See Registered jack
* American Council of Trustees and Alumni, an education organization
* Manny Acta, current manager of the Washington Nationals in Major League Baseball
* Australian Clay Target Association (my favorite)
I don't read your sig. Why are you reading mine?
Select one month, for instance October, and get as many as possible to refrain from buying music, film, games, books, electronics, clothes or any other non-essentials for that one month.
Money seems to be all they care about, lets hit them where it'll probably be felt the most.