What Does Japan Need To Do To Deal With The Aftermath Of The Devastating Earthquake? Apparently Pass ACTA!

from the say-what-now? dept

This past weekend, as you know, Japan held a signing ceremony for ACTA. While that’s already been covered, the folks at StopACTANow pointed out something really bizarre in the Japanese announcement concerning the signing ceremony. It lists out five points. The first four are all more or less understandable via paraphasing: (1) there’s a signing ceremony in Japan (2) ACTA was kicked off by suggestions from Japan, and driven by the US (3) a bunch of other countries participated and (4) all of the participants will be at the signing, and those who are ready to sign, will. But the bizarre thing is the fifth point, which reads as follows:

On the preceding day, Friday, September 30, an international symposium entitled, ?Global Intellectual Property Strategy and the Reconstruction from the Great East Japan Earthquake: Eliminating Counterfeit and Pirated Products through ACTA?, will be held in Sendai as a side event of the signing ceremony.

By now this has already happened, and we haven’t seen any info about it, but, seriously? What does the Great East Japan Earthquake have to do with intellectual property at all? And is Japan really suggesting that ACTA plays some sort of role in rebuilding Japan? Perhaps ACTA supporters and their efforts to keep any outside influence away from the negotiators has gone to their head, such that they think they can say any insane thing and people won’t notice.

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Comments on “What Does Japan Need To Do To Deal With The Aftermath Of The Devastating Earthquake? Apparently Pass ACTA!”

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46 Comments
Anonymous Coward says:

More anti-IP FUD from Pirate Mike. Snore.

This isn’t even a story. You don’t actually know what was presented at that event, but that doesn’t stop you from saying that whatever it was it must have been stupid.

Jesus, Pirate Mike. Is it too much to ask that you know what someone actually said before you decide that what they said is stupid?

You are just so incredibly desperate to spread FUD about IP that it’s sad. And, yeah, this blog isn’t pro-piracy. Give me a break.

Anonymous Coward says:

Re: Re:

Is FUD back in vogue now?

You don’t know what was presented at the event, but that doesn’t stop you from saying that whatever it was the title, which we all know definitively, must not be stupid.

The title is something that was actually said and it was actually stupid.

You are just so incredibly desperate to use a several weeks old buzz word it’s sad.

Anonymous Coward says:

Re: Re: Re: Re:

Are you sure you understand what FUD means because it would apply much more aptly to a crass attempt to tie real devastation caused by a natural disaster to the ACTA than it would apply to pointing out how insane that is regardless of if you are for or against the ACTA. But please go on, never admit mistakes. Brush off this massive faux pas as if only the people who notice it are the desperate ones. It’s doing wonders for your credibility, and the industry you appear to be defending. Unless this is all just an elaborate troll to convince everyone to remain entrenched against an increasingly out-of-touch content industry in which case: well done!

Rikuo (profile) says:

Re: Re: Re: Re:

Mike can write whatever he damn well pleases on this site. Can’t you understand? The guys behind ACTA have somehow meshed the earthquake and counterfeit products together.

What if next week, your state senators pass a bill increasing the punishment for selling drugs and at the signing ceremony, one of the points to be discussed will be where to build the next big highway. Its two completely separate issues being joined together because, if someone objects to ACTA, then pro-ACTA people will say “Then they must be against earthquake reconstruction too!”

jimbo says:

didn’t changes to the copyright laws in New Zealand happen at the time of emergency after the earthquakes there earlier this year? how those changes aided the emergency measures needed, i have no idea, but everyone can rest easy in the knowledge that, whenever a catastrophe occurs, the changes to copyright laws will be there to see you through those tough times!

Anonymous Coward says:

Japan along with the US are the mothers of ACTA.
Japan sees China doing what they did to the US and want to do something about it, many in Japan believe they must transform into a pure idea market, so does a lot of influent people in America, the problem is that free ideas is the one thing that will keep them in the game and they want to kill it.

Anonymous Coward says:

Mike, what the hell?

Do you think that as a result of the earthquake (that effects only a portion of the country) that the government no longer functions? Do you think they all stopped doing everything except working on the earthquake zone?

What is the appropriate time after an earthquake to sign agreements? Is their some sort of mourning period? Is it years, decades?

Sorry, but your hatred of this agreement is clear, and it is clear you are willing to stoop all the way down this low to try to discredit the counties that sign it. It’s sad really.

Mike Masnick (profile) says:

Re: Re:

Do you think that as a result of the earthquake (that effects only a portion of the country) that the government no longer functions? Do you think they all stopped doing everything except working on the earthquake zone?

I said no such thing. I fully expect the government to continue functioning. I’m just wondering why they’re claiming that ACTA is key to the post-earthquake reconstruction.

What is the appropriate time after an earthquake to sign agreements? Is their some sort of mourning period? Is it years, decades?

Um. I don’t think you read the post. This has nothing to do with the time between quake and signing.

Sorry, but your hatred of this agreement is clear, and it is clear you are willing to stoop all the way down this low to try to discredit the counties that sign it. It’s sad really.

Sorry, but your hatred of this site is clear, and it is clear you are willing to stoop all the way down this low to try to discredit Techdirt and the people who post here. It’s sad really.

Anonymous Coward says:

Perhaps we are intended to infer (from point number 5) that the Great East Japan Earthquake was actually a counterfeit or pirated earthquake. However, I must admit that I fail to see how an authentic earthquake could be much of an improvement over a counterfeit or pirated earthquake, or how being a signatory to ACTA can ensure a better “earthquake experience.” How would I be able to recognize the difference between the real thing and a counterfeit if I weren’t informed of the earthquake beforehand and told what details to watch for? Is there, perhaps, a difference in the quality of the aftershocks? Would I care? If so why? Is there any difference in the effect on my wallet? The economy? Hmmm…

Nadine says:

Encourage SMEs and VCs to Invest More in IP While Winning them over for ACTA?

The only other documentation is a press release from METI (Japan Ministry of Economy Trade & Industry) which states they will make the case on how protecting IP can facilitate recovery from the earthquake, and that they are calling on the public to participate in the forum. See (in Japanese):
http://www.meti.go.jp/press/2011/09/20110922006/20110922006.pdf

(According to the announcement) METI is also offering a free post-presentation conference aimed at internal IP counsel/advisors, general attorneys and patent attorneys. Their pitch for why you would want to come? You are an SME wanting to take your services/products global. What better place than to mill around at a forum (ahem) signing ceremony where there are dignitaries from numerous countries, all interested in protecting IP and dealing with counterfeits of your products?

Looking at the agenda though, given that signing countries are making a presentation, it seems to me that is really the opposite: they are giving ACTA signing countries a chance to “impress the gravity of the situation” on IP policy makers in various industries. Clever.

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