Union des Consommateurs online ACTA meeting
p2pnet view P2P | Politics:- The entertainment industry’s ACTA [Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement] is more than merely another transparent ploy designed to keep consumers around the world under tight corporate control
If it’s passed in its present form, it’ll not only turn countries into marketing and free-fire copyright enforcement divisions, even worse, boardrooms will replace governments.
Quebec consumer protection group the Union des Consommateurs, at the forefront of organisations protesting the ‘agreement’, has organised an online press conference for tomorrow announcing a joint declaration calling on governments everywhere to ensure their citizens’ rights are protected.
The conference will be recorded and posted on the union’s web site.
Taking part are >>>
- Rashmi Rangnath- Public Knowledge (USA)
- Michael Geist- Ottawa University (Canada)
- Jeremy Malcolm- Access to Knowledge (A2K) Consumers International
- David Fewer- Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic (CIPPIC) (Canada)
- Dominique Peschard- Ligue des droits et libertés (Québec)
- James Love- Knowledge Ecology International (USA)
- Jeremy Zimmerman- La Quadrature du Net (France)
- Olivier Charbonneau- Association pour l’Avancement des sciences et des techniques de la documentation (ASTED) et Corp. des bibliothécaires professionnels du Qc (CPBQ) (Québec)
- Anthony Hémond- Union des consommateurs (Québec)
You, too, can sign the joint declaration, which reads >>>
Governments of Australia, Canada, European Union, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, United Arab Emirates and United States are amongst those undertaking secret negotiations for a so-called Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTAi). Amongst the many topics it reaches, ACTA would:
- allow Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to snoop on their clients and cut them off the Internet if sharing copyrighted files is alleged;
- establish ‘graduated response” measures and Internet Service Provider (ISP) liability, which leads to Internet filtering, as well as limits to the interoperability of legally acquired digital works;
- authorize border guards to search laptops and MP3 players and to seize them if they contain material that could seem to infringe on copyright; and
- introduce new criminal sanctions for copyright infringements, including sanctions for certain uses of the Internet that previously were not criminalized;
- affect other important issues, such as access to medication.
This is reason enough, in our opinion, to express concern about the consequences this agreement will have on the fundamental rights and freedoms of the citizens of the concerned states.
Our concerns are confirmed by documents from the European Commission, which clearly indicate that this Agreement will restrain certain rights and freedoms, particularly freedom of expression and protection of privacy.
The current process of negotiation, which is shrouded in secrecy, held in closed meetings between representatives of the participating Countries, is of particular concern for consumers. In fact, governments have participated in these meetings for over 18 months, without divulging the texts under negotiation or allowing the public to observe or participate.
This negotiation process, in itself, raises important questions about the lack of transparency and about respect of democratic principles. It is extremely disconcerting to know that certain American industries have had access to ACTA documents, while the European Parliament and consumer groups have been refused such access.
Governments have the duty to inform their citizens about projected agreements under negotiation that will directly impact on their fundamental rights and freedoms.
Therefore, we call on the Members of Parliament, Congress or such representative assemblies of the negotiating countries to ensure that their governments act in a transparent manner in the current negotiation process by publishing the proposed Agreement, and to oppose any provisions that would impinge upon fundamental rights and freedoms.
Find out more on the new ACTA resource page.
A ‘caricature of businesses plotting to harm the public’
Meanwhile, the ACTA talks proceed, the latest having been staged (word used advisedly) in Mexico.
“Geraldine Juarez writes in to let us know of her experience attending what was billed as a ‘public hearing’ about the ACTA treaty in Mexico (link in Spanish, Google translation here), which sounded really messed up,” says Mike Masnick on TechDirt, continuing >>>
First, despite it being a public hearing, originally those putting on the event wanted attendees to sign nondisclosure agreements.
After pushing back on this, they finally agreed to remove that requirement, but there was a lot of confusion about it and it may have kept people with serious questions about ACTA from attending.
The room, then, was mostly industry people, who were apparently concerned as to why everyday citizens were in attendance, and they even booed a lawyer who questioned the human rights angle.
As for Geraldine, she tried twittering the event, and the industry folks demanded she leave (and had a guard escort her out).
It’s almost like they’re trying to make themselves into a caricature of businesses plotting to harm the public. When others asked where the actual ACTA discussions in Mexico would be held, they were told that was “confidential.”
“It appears that the public is certainly not welcome,” Mike observes.
Stay tuned for more on the Canadian conference.
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First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win ~ Mahatma Gandhi
January, 2010
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