ACTA Internet Chapter Leaked — Bad For Everyone

roju writes "Cory Doctorow is reporting on a leaked copy of the 'internet enforcement' portion of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement. He describes it as reading like a 'DMCA-plus' with provisions for third-party liability, digital locks, and 'a duty to technology firms to shut down infringement where they have "actual knowledge" that such is taking place.' For example, this could mean legal responsibility shifting to Apple for customers copying mp3s onto their iPods." Adds an anonymous reader, "Michael Geist points out that the leaks demonstrate that ACTA would create a Global DMCA and move toward a three-strikes-and-you're-out system. While the US has claimed that ACTA won't establish a mandatory three strikes system, it specifically uses three-strikes as its model."

Comments

This is a MUCH bigger threat than terrorism.

[Anonymous Coward]

This is a much bigger threat to freedom and democracy than terrorism ever could be.

Re:This is a MUCH bigger threat than terrorism.

[causality]

This is a much bigger threat to freedom and democracy than terrorism ever could be.

I wish I could attribute the saying, but here is how I've heard it said: If your law requires a police state to enforce, then your law is a bad law.

The very fact that these meetings were held in secret was a dead giveaway that nothing in our interests is going on in there.

Re:This is a MUCH bigger threat than terrorism.

[FiloEleven]

I am an adult. I can be responsible for my own interests. I recognize that what I want is not always what is best for me, and I act on that recognition through self-control. When I fail, I accept the responsibility.

Any group of men who thinks they know my interests better than I do can speak with me and try to convince me that this is so, but it is I who makes the final decision. Provisions decided in secret without public knowledge or consent will result in nothing but more lawlessness. Anyone who approves this agreement clearly shows that he does not represent me.

Re:This is a MUCH bigger threat than terrorism.

[hairyfeet]

Thank you. And for those that labeled me a troll? Come out to middle America and see for yourself. our towns are nothing but corpses. Walled up store fronts, half the houses are abandoned, folks living out of their cars, whole towns just walked away from. Just in the two mile daily walk around my town I passed boarded up building after boarded up building, tons of for rent and for sale signs that have sat so long they have faded, the only reason my home town isn't completely dead is because it has a college. Those towns nearby that don't have a college? look like something out of an "after the apocalypse" movie.

It is actually pretty simple folks. You can't pay for two wars and bailouts of thieving bankers without taxes, and kind of hard to tax the unemployed. If the fed were to release REAL numbers, instead of their bullshit numbers where they drop all those whose benefits ran out, or who gave up because there simply isn't any work to be had, we would probably be looking at close to 30% unemployment and rising. They can talk about their "positive" indicators all they want, the jobs aren't coming back, they've been offshored to places were they can poison the workers into an early grave and dump toxins out the back door.

From driving through middle America and seeing the vast wastelands I personally think we are gonna have a depression that makes the 30s look like a joke. And I don't think it will go nearly as meekly, do you? We are a hell of a lot more mean than they were back then, and a hell of a lot better armed. We'll see how nasty things will get when it takes a basket of money to buy bread, with the way they are printing money at the fed probably won't be too long. China will only put up with buying our worthless dollars for so long before they just switch to the Euro and say fuck us. When that happens it is gonna get nasty folks, you mark my words.

Re:Tyranny vs Liberty

[91degrees]

The much wiser man was a complete moron then.

When government fears the people there is a ineffectual weak populist government that fears making difficult decisions because people collectively are pretty damn stupid. Alas that isn't catchy and doesn't use a clever mechanic of opposites, but alas, reality can't always be handled in a pithy statement.

Government should respect the people, earn their trust, and work as their loyal servants. Neither side should fear the other.

Re:Not sure it's even good for them.

[fucket]

Did you include a check?

Re:Why isn't China a Partner?

[oldhack]

It's a sad, sad world where we have to rely on China and Russia to "protect" our freedom.