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Central Europe Countries Continue to Oppose ACTA

Posted by samzenpus on from the agree-to-disagree dept.

tykev writes "The Czech government suspended the ratification process of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, ACTA, said Prime Minister Petr Necas today. The government wants to further analyze the issue. There were a number of public demonstrations against ACTA in several Czech towns, and some Czech Euro MP's oppose ACTA as being 'completely wide of the mark'. Earlier, Poland announced its intention to suspend the ratification process as well. In the meantime, the website of the ruling Czech Civic Democratic Party was attacked and defaced by Anonymous who also publicly released personal data of the party's members."

9 of 111 comments (clear)

  1. Futile by busyqth · · Score: 3, Interesting

    "Further analyzing the issue" is irrelevant. You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile.

    1. Re:Futile by Darkness404 · · Score: 4, Interesting

      That is a really, really stupid idea. When it comes to real rights such as freedom of expression or freedom of religion there is nothing that I am not forced to promote that, only not to trample the rights of others. In no way am I forced to agree with them, to pay money to help them put up billboards or go with them on protest marches. With a "right" to internet I'm forced to pay for the lifestyle of someone else. If someone wants to choose to live far away from others in a remote location, why should I be forced to help lay fiber or cable for them to have the "right" to internet?

      A better solution would be net neutrality is required if you use public land or public owned cables to run your ISP. Because it allows for the most amount of net neutrality (nearly all ISPs use public owned cables to do business with customers) but allows the greatest amount of freedom (if the ISP doesn't want to implement net neutrality don't use public land or cables).

      --
      Taxation is legalized theft, no more, no less.
  2. There's still some hope. by sadness203 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Maybe one day, we'll look back and laugh at all these garbage laws that some odd fellow were trying to pass to "protect" some intellectual property. Maybe one day a good law will be passed, one made not for corporation, but for the people and innovation.

    I doubt I'll see that. Yet, I can still hope.

  3. Hope yet for the human race? by kheldan · · Score: 4, Interesting

    This is an encouraging thing to read on a Monday morning. SOPA/PIPA gets shelved here in the U.S., and now the EU is showing some backbone. Should we dare hope?

    --
    Are YOU using the TOOL, or is the TOOL using YOU? Think about it!
    1. Re:Hope yet for the human race? by jdgeorge · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Should we dare hope?

      No. But vote. And it would be a good idea to plan ahead for what to do after something similar gets passed.

  4. what's futile is this : by unity100 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    What we need to do is strike back at the politicians and remind them that they are serving the interests of all the population

    they know very well who they should be serving. they are NOT choosing to serve who they should be serving. instead, they choose whomever pays them.

    the difference of the central european countries is that, there is still a lot of generations currently at the age of running government, corporations etc, who has grown up during the communist era with at least some ideals. you wont find those in anglo-american countries. hence, the opposition from central europe.

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    Read radical news here
  5. Protests in many, many European cities by DerCed · · Score: 5, Interesting

    What is also quite impressive are the protests planned by Pirate Parties and others in numerous cities all over Europe (+ some other continents). Many events are to be held this Saturday, February 11st. The map looks absolutely breath-taking:
    http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=212120558776447282985.0004b7b33e16f13c710c7&msa=0

  6. Well of course not, they're not IP dependant by poity · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Western Europe is the major source of intellectual property. Look at WIPO's top applicant nations - Germany, France, UK, Netherlands. Look at IMDB's top film making countries - France, UK. Look at the fashion world where you're nobody unless your're based in London, Paris, or Milan. In addition, Central and Eastern Europe are the conduits (if not the source) for many counterfeits. With ACTA, those governments would bear a share of the burden in protecting someone else's economy while their own not-quite-so IP-reliant economies see no benefit. So they'd go from not spending money enforcing someone else's IP while getting economic benefit from those citizen who profit from counterfeit, to spending money enforcing someone else's IP while killing off a pretty nice influx of money. Western EU countries are going to have to offer much more trade incentives to get what they want, but then by increasing trade incentives to get IP enforcement, they will just be switching from one hose siphoning money from them to another hose siphoning money from them.

    --
    your thin skin doesn't make me a troll
  7. Re:What's the point? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Yep, and since this is the EU, they actually take the time to read the bills being proposed, unlike in the US where they just say Yes to the bill with the most financial backing. As a result of this, any unpopular law that somehow finds it's way into a completely unrelated bill, get's vetoed and removed before the bill can continue it's path, again unlike the US.