The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement negotiations continue in a few hours as Seoul, Korea plays host to the latest round of talks. The governments have posted the meeting agenda, which unsurprisingly focuses on the issue of Internet enforcement [UPDATE 11/4: Post on discussions for day two of ACTA talks, including the criminal enforcement provisions]. The United States has drafted the chapter under enormous secrecy, with selected groups granted access under strict non-disclosure agreements and other countries (including Canada) given physical, watermarked copies designed to guard against leaks.http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/4510/125/
WTF? Wake up, there is no transparency and we are about to be held to a standard that almost prohibits free speech. As an author, we do our best to provide proper credits for anything we cite as a source. We would hope that spammers and authentic writers do the same for us, and usually they do for fear of being held accountable in a lawsuit. Click on the disclosure tab at the top to see how we have tried to cover our a$$.
“On the international front, it provides firm confirmation that the treaty is not a counterfeiting trade, but a copyright treaty.”
“A U.S.-drafted chapter on Internet use would require ISPs to police user-generated content, to cut off Internet access for copyright violators, and to remove content that is accused of copyright violation without any proof of actual violation. The chapter also completely prohibits DRM workarounds, even for archiving or retrieving one’s own work.” writes http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/copyright_treaty_leaked_trouble_for_isps_and_in.php
In the U.S. you are innocent until proven guilty, but this may usurp everything you have ever learned about properly citing your sources and in the process limit your free speech. Say nothing of fines and threats of imprisonment.
The leaks suggest that countries who sign up to the U.S promoted plan would have to force ISPs to proactively police copyright on user-generated content, cut off those accused (or face liability), and put “graduated response” clauses in customer contracts. An example of a graduated response is France’s “three strikes and you’re out” law. There, you get two warnings if caught sharing music or movies, then you’re banned for up to two years. http://gizmodo.com/5396757/secret-copyright-treaty-details-leak-isps-worldwide-to-become-copyright-cops
Two years without the Internet? Tsk, tsk- as if someone who broke copyright law couldn’t walk into an Internet cafe in Paris, Korea, Russia or the middle of butt fcuk Egypt to log on. Good luck with that enforcement. $hit, America can’t keep the illegal immigrants out and we are expected to believe in the Internet police? We still believe in Santa, because if you don’t believe- you don’t receive.
Just how much control does President Obama seek? Prohibiting free speech further erodes every citizen’s right and enhances government control over yet another aspect of our life.
Best if all- ““The internet chapter of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, a secret copyright treaty whose text Obama’s administration refused to disclose due to ‘national security’ concerns, has leaked. It’s bad.” You can read the original leaked document or the summary. If passed, the internet will never be the same. Thank goodness it’s hidden from public scrutiny for National Security. via http://yro.slashdot.org/story/09/11/04/144240/Secret-Copyright-Treaty-Leaks-Its-Bad-Very-Bad
If and when this thing gets signed, duly note that we have properly credited the excerpted quotes. Just in case the ping and link from the photo doesn’t work, it is from http://www.toothpastefordinner.com/archives/2006/Jun/ . We’ll even take it a bit farther in the interest of disclosure- they sell T-shirts with slogans at http://www.sharingmachine.com/ and would you look at their disclosure-“You may display TFD/MTTS/ND comics on your website, blog, Myspace, Livejournal, etc. as long as you link back to www.toothpastefordinner.com / www.marriedtothesea.com / www.nataliedee.com. The box marked “Cut/paste this HTML code” next to every comic does this for you. ” We believe we are in full compliance of the laws of the U.S.A. and graciously meet the requests of the site owners.
We’re so broke over the U.S. economic stimulus package there isn’t anything left to sue us over. Maybe a 5 year old monitor and a keyboard with Swine Flu germs. We can’t even afford the cool t-shirts from www.toothpastefordinner.com!
The Federal Trade Commission today (10.5.09) announced that it has approved final revisions to the guidance it gives to advertisers on how to keep their endorsement and testimonial ads in line with the FTC Act. http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/10/endortest.shtm
Blogs are a blessing and a curse in the world of advocacy. With so many different voices floating around, it’s easy to get caught up in a piece of support that may not be appropriately accurate. writes Who links to me at http://wholinkstome.com/blog/ftc-regulations-on-bloggers/
Blog while you can. BTW, every www.gov site you visit – your own ISP is logged as a permanent record. This, while the White House can barely keep track of it’s in person visitor logs.
