

US, Aus, Canada, Japan, Morocco, New Zealand, Singapore, and S. Korea sign ACTA - bdhe
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/10/us-signs-international-anti-piracy-accord.ars

======
linuxhansl
> Until European Union authorities began leaking the document’s text, the
> Obama administration was claiming the accord was a "national security"
> secret.

I cannot even begin to express how much this disgusts me. This is the
government that I fund with my tax dollars, that is supposed to work on my
behalf. There should no operation in the dark.

I hope Europe does not sign this nonsense, although I am not keeping my hopes
up. The notion that "piracy" (even that word is the result of well oiled
marketing campaign) will destroy the content makers (rather than the crappy,
repetitive stuff they create) is widespread among politicians.

~~~
cop359
While I don't agree with this agreement, I don't see any particular problem
keeping the negotiations and drafts secret. I mean, the final deal is
obviously made public (otherwise there would be no way of enforcing that
countries abide by it), but I don't think the negotiators needs to disclose
every thought they brainstorm. It would create a lot of public and political
pressure on the negotiators and instead of trying to reach something that
every country can agree on, they'd be trying to appease domestic lobbyists.

~~~
JoshTriplett
They're already trying to appease domestic lobbyists; making the process
public would risk them having to satisfy the public, and since no part of this
has any correlation with the public interest...

------
jrockway
Wow, this is scary. The technology that the pirates will develop to trade
files unnoticed, combined with anonymous payment systems like Bitcoin, mean
that people in the business of child abuse will have it even easier than they
already do. It's great to criminalize college students sharing mix tapes or
whatever, but the side effects are what's really frightening. (Also, if we're
going to fine someone $1.3MM for sharing music, shouldn't we just kill them
instead? Their life is ruined either way, but a quick and painless death seems
much more humane than spending 60 years living in poverty as a slave to the
recording industry.)

Won't someone _please_ think of the children?

(Do we really want to start fighting a losing War On Sharing alongside our War
On Drugs, War On Liquids-on-planes, and War on Afghanistan? Can society afford
another losing war?)

~~~
scq
> Their life is ruined either way, but a quick and painless death seems much
> more humane than spending 60 years living in poverty as a slave to the
> recording industry.

Can't they just file for bankruptcy?

~~~
JoshTriplett
In general you cannot discharge fines and similar judgments through
bankruptcy; at best you can potentially arrange to pay it over the course of
the rest of your life.

------
RexRollman
From the article: "The Obama administration was claiming the accord was a
"national security" secret."

Could our government be any more disappointing?

~~~
hartror
Well as an Australian I am pretty unhappy that our government is copying your
government's stupid ideas. Which is more disappointing, someone jumping over a
cliff or the person that follows them? :(

I can only hope that this won't pass through our parliament successfully,
there are a couple of fairly clued in left wing politicians holding the
balance of power right now in Australia. But then again this seems like the
type of thing both the major parties will rubber stamp with barely a raised
eyebrow.

Hey look mainstream Australia look that way, there are people on boats.

~~~
Joakal
They are doing it behind closed doors so Australians can't find out how it
affects them.

<https://www.pirateparty.org.au/>

~~~
ra
Seems you're right... I can't find any parliament discussion on the subject:
<http://www.openaustralia.org/search/?s=+Anti-Counterfeiting>

------
robinbourne
Little bit of history, going back to 2008:

President Bush signed into law legislation creating a copyright czar, a
cabinet-level position on par with the nation’s drug czar
<http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2008/10/bush-signs-law/>

MPAA Urges Obama to Embrace Internet Filtering
<http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2008/12/mpaa-urging-oba/>

Obama Administration Announces Massive Piracy Crackdown
[http://www.dailytech.com/Obama+Administration+Announces+Mass...](http://www.dailytech.com/Obama+Administration+Announces+Massive+Piracy+Crackdown/article18815.htm)

Obama-administration: piracy is flat unadulterated theft
[http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/08/obama-
admini...](http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/08/obama-
administration-piracy-is-flat-unadulterated-theft.ars)

U.S. to target foreign websites in anti-piracy push
<http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE65L3YN20100622>

~~~
SkyMarshal
Off topic linguistic nitpick, but does it ever irk anyone else that America
refers to these people as 'Czar'? I assume the term is meant to imply absolute
power to cut through red tape, prosecute a particular policy objective (drug
war, etc.), and just get shit done which all Americans appreciate, but still,
couldn't the 'land of the free' come up with a better term for our public
servants than that used for deposed Russian authoritarian despots?

~~~
pivo
That really bothers me too. At best it's ignorant, at worst it's a grave
portent.

------
nibor7301
When will these idiots learn? I see this going down the same route the war on
drugs has taken. Lots of harmless people going to prison, and very little
success in actually stopping illicit activities. At least it seems unlikely to
produce dangerous organized crime, as the prohibition and the war on drugs
produced, but who knows?

The better solution would be for companies that produce
music/films/software/etc to revise their own buisness models and adapt to the
reality of piracy. Heck, some companies, like Adobe for example, probably
-profit- off their product being pirated.

I much prefer the anti-ACTA. Overall, these days we probably need more
protection from the companies, than they need from us.

~~~
theoj
>> The better solution would be for companies that produce
music/films/software/etc to revise their own business models and adapt to the
reality of piracy.

Adapting to the reality of piracy would probably mean lower prices. Why do
that when they can just stick the government with the cost of enforcement and
then keep prices high? Plus lobbying costs are a fraction of the enforcement
costs.

Not saying it's right, but unfortunately such is the perverse relationship
between big business and government nowadays.

------
1point2
Key - that will be John Key (NZ) does seem to be smitten by the US. Please
come back Helen (she knew what side the bread was buttered on). [edit -
dropped the s's - thanx]

~~~
fungi
i can see whats in it for the US... and korea and japan prominently consume
indigenous media, so it's not going to be such a big deal for them... but aus
and nz are massive importers of american media, wtf is in this for us
antipodeans? do we get access to US agricultural markets in return or anything
of any value whatsoever?

~~~
darylteo
You get to continue playing US deputy sheriff in the middle of nowhere? =)

------
cletus
Perhaps I've become cynical but before the 2008 election I (as a non-US
citizen so I can't vote) strongly supported Obama, not because I necessarily
agreed with his positions but because of the race situation in America.

It's an understatement to say that African Americans between slavery,
segregation and just general racism have had a torrid history in the United
States. Honestly I can't imagine the consequences of what that kind of
cultural heritage would do to you.

Obama's election was seen by many as a symbol. Having the first African
American president holding the highest office in the land was seen as (and is
IMHO) a bellwether moment in American history.

Had he lost I think there would've been a lot of anger (and there's already a
lot of anger in American society), possibly even feelings of despair and being
deprived (as a race). Whatever the case, it certainly seemed important.

What I predicted would happen--and IMHO has happened--is that Obama as
president has been deeply disappointing to many of his supporters. The US is
still in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Obama administration is basically the
political wing of the RIAA/MPAA between ACTA, federal judgeships, ex-RIAA
lawyers filling the DoJ and so on.

It has turned out to be worse than my own cynical predictions. Obama the
candidate was great. He spoke frankly and intelligently whereas Hilary Clinton
(and most others) would give bottled answers to questions that made it seemed
like they were just going through the motions and, in many ways, felt entitled
to the office.

So what we have now is, I believe, a partial catharsis of race relations in
America (which is good) and also the reality that politicians are politicians
first and foremost, regardless of race or creed.

As for ACTA, at least the stupid three strikes Internet stuff is gone but the
treaty is still an embarrassment both in content and execution. It was
negotiated in secret. So much for government openness. Thank God for Wikileaks
(and similar).

But I guess we can't call it a treaty. To do so would be a de facto admission
that it requires Senate ratification. Instead words like "accord" and
"agreement" are bandied about to dodge due process. Another embarrassment.

~~~
SkyMarshal
The fundamental problem is that the extreme concentration of wealth in the US
increases the power of industry groups like the recording industry, banking
industry, oil, defense, etc. relative to the citizenry, and those groups
capture and have their way wth the government.

Obama had the most effective grassroots funding in US history, but even then
it only made up ~half his campaign donations. The other half came from
industry groups and wealthy individuals. But the latter not only fund
campaigns, but hire high-powered lobbyists who were usually prior
Congressional staff members, and also provide well-paid revolving door jobs,
directorships, etc. for politicians when they leave office. Politicians are
funded, courted, bribed, and basically controlled from their political life's
cradle to grave. The entire system is almost completely captured.

Unfortunately there are no wealthy special interests who particularly oppose
ACTA, just segments of the populace, which don't have the financial clout to
buy access to Congress or the President. Hence things like ACTA is the result,
even with a president like Obama.

------
mcantelon
Ever since the beginning, copyright was about protecting the interests of the
powerful.

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright#Early_European_printe...](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright#Early_European_printers.27_monopoly)

------
thisrod
I thought Australia had already agreed to follow America's mistakes on
copyright and patents, ten years ago, under the pretence of free trade. Has
anything changed?

------
mindstab
well damnit

------
wnight
I don't authorized my government to deal in secret. I never did and I
especially wouldn't have since Wikileaks has shown us the crimes they commit.
And to deal with the USA despite their ongoing wars, 'rendition' for torture,
etc, is unconscionable, especially when done in secret and to enact unpopular
treaties.

Can we get some UN peacekeepers to help us enforce a democracy in Canada?

