If Negotiators Still Don't Want To Release ACTA, It'll Still Get Leaked
from the leaky-old-boat dept
So, we now know for certain that the ACTA negotiators' promise of "transparency" over negotiations was an outright lie. They fought it every step of the way, falsely claiming that if the draft were public, some members would leave the table. It was only after a pretty massive smack down from the EU Parliament and the fact that the draft was already leaked that negotiators finally agreed to release a draft that left out lots of pertinent information.
But what was most interesting is how negotiators have acted since then. First, they pretended that the released draft proved all the complaints about ACTA were unfounded, but the details showed something quite different, which has even supporters of stronger intellectual property crying foul.
And how have negotiators responded? Rather than living up to their promises of transparency, they've gone back into secrecy mode. They admitted that the draft release was a one time deal, which was made even clearer when the last meetings concluded without a release of the new draft -- and not even a mention of the fact that they wouldn't be releasing it.
Of course, this is the internet age, and keeping stuff secret tends to backfire badly. Via Michael Geist we've learned that the latest ACTA draft has been leaked once again. You can read it below:
Clearly, some of the parties involved in the negotiations agree that the drafts should be public, and the more some (we've heard it's mainly the US negotiators) want to keep the document secret, the more ridiculous they look. What's even more ridiculous, of course, is how the US negotiators keep denying reality. They claim they're being transparent, when they're not. They claim that the release answered all questions, when it clearly did not. They claim that the concerns of various groups are unfounded, but have failed to respond to their questions. It's as if they think that as long as they keep saying stuff, someone somewhere will believe them. That's not quite how it works.
But what was most interesting is how negotiators have acted since then. First, they pretended that the released draft proved all the complaints about ACTA were unfounded, but the details showed something quite different, which has even supporters of stronger intellectual property crying foul.
And how have negotiators responded? Rather than living up to their promises of transparency, they've gone back into secrecy mode. They admitted that the draft release was a one time deal, which was made even clearer when the last meetings concluded without a release of the new draft -- and not even a mention of the fact that they wouldn't be releasing it.
Of course, this is the internet age, and keeping stuff secret tends to backfire badly. Via Michael Geist we've learned that the latest ACTA draft has been leaked once again. You can read it below:
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Sigh...
Sadly, in the world of national and/or global politics, that's EXACTLY how it works. Proof by assertion has turned into a very powerful tool in the world of corporate media controlled by governments....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proof_by_assertion
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Re: Sigh...
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Re: Sigh...
Although, these lies are certainly propagated willfully by the government and not the media; the mainstream media are so lazy now, and it's much easier to simply roll over for government instead of starting a fight. But it's malice in the first case and apathy in the second.
And of course the only reason why it works is because people are stupid, lazy, and unwilling to question their own stances or to actually develop their own opinions on policy; easier to just identify with some popular group and become indoctrinated by their group ideology, or just ignore it altogether.
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Sorry, but I don't agree. In our system of government in which people move freely between industry positions and appointed government offices, they're all the same people. Don't even get me started on how the same bankers that sit on the boards of these companies also lend the government money through the Fed....
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Re: Sigh...
When will these MAFIAA execs (and the politicians they bought)
realize that they are the only ones who care even remotely?
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Re: Re: Sigh...
More like the maRIAA.
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Inheritance
That's not quite how it works.
Assuming that a lot of the driving force behind ACTA comes from the entertainment industry,
...and the entertainment industry is built on illusion and the "willful suspension of disbelief",
...we really shouldn't expect much else from their actors at the USTR, right?
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Also
That's not quite how it works.
It seemed to work OK for Microsoft at IEEE with Office Open XML...
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Committee (Tuesday)"
And we got it day of this time, I am liking the LIBE and their leadership more and more every day.
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What should we do?
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Re: What should we do?
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Re: What should we do?
you could write a letter to the whitehouse:
http://www.publicknowledge.org/action/whitehouse_acta
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Re: Re: Re: What should we do?
it's a big list.
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Why be the one politician to rock the boat?
Better to let them die their slow agonizing deat by getting everything they want.
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Re: What should we do?
Many other people take issue that the very name "Anti Counterfeiting Trade (executive) Agreement" implies that the discussions are focusing only on criminals profiteering on counterfeited goods. The formal draft release made it perfectly clear that copyright enforcement is a major subject.
I'm reading the latest draft and kind of amused they're retaining the "copyright piracy" term (right after counterfeiting) to describe all copyright infringement. Again this is misleading, as mass copyright infringement for personal use is freeloading gluttony, not theft or profiteering - no actual product is lost, nor any sale intercepted.
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Re: What should we do?
The more people think of ACTA as an horrible thing, the more likely supporting it will be seen as political suicide by the politicians. And even if it passes, the more people dislike it, the greater the opposition and the greater the chance it will be repealed, ignored, or willfully and openly defied.
(This comment is licensed under Creative Commons CC0; feel free to pass it along too!)
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Thats been out for a couple days now ...
It gets far worse the further you read into the document.
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That's nothing...
Basically whatever number the rights holder makes up is the amount you have to pay.
Let's not even think about the fact that market value may be overpriced. Nosiree bob... You price it, it's a consideration. I swear, you can tell that there isn't one economist on the US side.
Damn... trying to read this only depresses me. Especially with knowing that Japan (major economic recession) and the US (majorly in the hands of the big CEOs) can't be made to see reason, only that this enforcement strategy will weaken their country on the whole.
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Re: That's nothing...
I read a copy of this from another source. The whole document is a nightmare that uses all the failed enforcement, penalty, and re-education techniques of the past 100 years. It is basically a stick to wave at the public and say "now you have to buy our crap, you have no choice!"
Here is a bit of history. Years back the IRS was seizing properties left and right. It caused a backlash and basically the IRS was slapped down because of its abusive methods. This will cause the same thing.
If I wanted to create a document to cause a backlash and swing the copyright to what it is supposed to be, this is what it would look like. It has so many constitutional violations there is no way for it to stand the legal system of the US or the EU.
It is going to piss off pretty much everyone. Police are not going to want to arrest a mother of four and give her kids to the state for listening to music or watching movies. ISP's are not going to want to do deep packet inspection to prevent infringement (I think ISP's as copyright enforcers is still buried in there, I was reading the old one and this new version side by side, I might be wrong).
Risk aversion will also kick in and cause people to err on the side of caution. This in turn will create a huge surge in the usage of Creative Commons Licenses. People will use less music from the labels on youTube and the like. People will start setting up databases dedicated to freely usable media.
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Grammar correction notice
Unless you're trying to help AT&T customers. ;)
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and dont even try this in canada
like about 9 that i can count easily....FAIL
no EPIC fail and i concur if you want a revolution to truly begin this is the type a crap to get things rolling
remember remember the 5th of november
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France
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re: that's not quite how it works
Just deny any contrary stories and never actually address any issues raised. Feed this to your pet reporters and go back to your desk, job done.
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Telling a lie often enough.....
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