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Another ACTA Leak Discloses Individual Country Data
An anonymous reader writes "On the heels of the earlier leak of various country positions on ACTA transparency, today an even bigger leak
has hit the Internet. A new European Union document [PDF] prepared several weeks ago canvasses the Internet and Civil Enforcement chapters, disclosing in complete detail the proposals from the US, and the counter-proposals from the EU, Japan, and other ACTA
participants. The 44-page document also highlights specific concerns of individual countries on a wide range of issues including ISP liability, anti-circumvention rules, and the scope of the treaty. This is probably the most significant leak to date since it goes beyond the transparency debate to include specific country positions and proposals."
I can understand why diplomats tend to like their meetings and discussions to be private. It's a hard enough dance between a few select people in a government that it doesn't need to be complicated by the public getting involved.
However, in this case, this is hardly a private conversation. Business is involved, pretty much all the world's governments are involved, and the only group not at the table is the largest and the one with the most to lose: actual people. I'd like to see what kind of justification politicians will come up with to argue that corporations can make suggestions, governments can provide input, but god forbid the people actually have a say in the way this sausage is made.
Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure that the end of the Internet as we know it is near. Too many organizations with too much clout have too many reasons to see the current Internet go away. I don't know what will come in its place, but I'm pretty sure I'll look back at the 90s/early 00s with nostalgia.
Those who can, do. Those who can't, sue.
Anyone else think anticircumvention is stupid?
Basically, they are saying:
"We can't write working code because the only people willing to write this kind of code are incompetent morons. Skilled engineers think this type of code is a bad idea, and won't touch it. Rather than rethinking our position to be more in line with reality, we want laws that make illegal to circumvent the swiss cheese code that we can actually hire someone to write." ...and now we are trying to foist this stupidity off on the rest of the world?!? No wonder they get upset about their dirty underwear going public.
-- Terry
I don't think there's much chance of changing the American negotiators views on this, but I'm still going to contact my representatives in Congress. Nothing will likely come out of it. If you are a /.er in a more reasonable country, say New Zealand or Canada, I beg you to contact your MPs and demand transparency in this process. We shouldn't have to find out about the progress of negotiations through leaks.
I think people are upset because this accord is being hammered out in secret behind closed doors, and citizens of the affected countries are only aware of progress on the treaty through leaks.
There's a correct way to "come to grips" with these problems, and that way is by discussing these issues in the open, and allowing for review and comment on what's going on.
does anyone else find it comic and rather ironic that almost exclusively
because the countries involved have tried to keep this a secret, that ACTA
negotiations now get far more attention than they would otherwise?
I feel this needs even more attention, and more clearly explained and broadly
disseminated explanation of what is at stake both for individuals and for
emerging cultures as they join the ranks of "western" strong-copyright regimes.
For good or ill, I sense history being made here, folks.
Me too. This is the DMCA all over again.
Basically the multi-national corporations are coming to grips with a global communications system, and is hammering out an accord on how it can be used.
FTFY.
How can you explain your children that they are 'criminals' if they download music or video?
You don't. You explain to them that corporations and governments are criminals and then teach them how to defend themselves from them by using darknets, etc.
"Disobedience is the true foundation of liberty. The obedient must be slaves. " ---Henry David Thoreau
Business culture has saturated government to the point where it can only communicate via the means established by business. People in government are more comfortable in business meetings and negotiations than they are listening to and communicating with the electorate.
When they have to communicate with the electorate they resort to pure pr or advertising strategies.
I fear this is the only action that content owners will pay any attention to, and I do not mean, stop buying and continue pirating the media. Ignore their new products, on the Internet and in real life. Put pressure on your favorite artists and writers. Tell your friends.
For those of us who love what the internet has to offer in terms of information, entertainment and news the very idea of the Internet becoming "the CorporateNet" is depressing.
After the takeover we will still be able to do many things - after we have logged in with our credit card.
Then CorporateNet can charge us for every download and access (and it will not be cheap!)
What can we do? If we fight like hell we can delay things for a while, but eventually money will rule out. So be prepared.
Here's how to restore real democracy world wide. First, we need to create a web-based lobbying organisation to lobby for our views. What we need are lobbyists world wide who will actually go in a bribe the senators and congress people like the corporate ones. Not meaningless PACs that send in worthless petitions. We need a system where all of us could contribute say, $30, and that hires the lobbyists. That's the carrot. Now for the stick. There are scandals everywhere in politics. There are likely scandals "in waiting" hidden in the politics. So, we tell the senators "if you don't do what we want, we will bring up X during the campaign." There's nothing they can do about it, because if they sue us, we just launch the scandal, and their career is over. Now, what if they try to make the lobbyist organisation illegal? The bribe/scandal machine goes into overdrive to defend itself. This is not the best form of democracy on the planet, but it works.
Second, we must destroy the music and media companies. They are a big threat to freedom world-wide (organised religion and moralism is in front). We need some kind of advertising based model for media delivery, over the internet. Think about if there was a website where you could play any song you wanted - like pandora or whatever. You could submit your music and it would get voted based on "views". Once it hit a certain number of views, we would create a CD of your music and sell that in stores or wherever. Young people (who buy music), often hate corps like Monsanto or whatever they see as bad. So lets use all those stories about teenagers sued by the RIAA to create a negative PR campaign, so the Obama voter types will hate the RIAA go for the service as an alternative.
Responsibility is an addiction
Virtue is a temptation
Community is a cartel