Even Senators Who Want Stronger Copyright Laws Are Worried About ACTA
from the as-they-should-be dept
We've been wondering for a while now about why the ACTA treaty is being negotiated in such secrecy -- since the treaty will almost certainly greatly expand copyright laws around the world, without any real judicial approval. So it's good to see our concerns are echoed even by politicians who have long supported Hollywood's efforts to strengthen copyright law. Following the recent Congressional hearings about ACTA, Senators Patrick Leahy and Arlen Specter (who were behind the Senate ProIP bill that would put a copyright czar in the White House and unsuccessfully tried to make the FBI Hollywood's private police force) have now sent a letter saying that they're quite concerned about the ACTA Treaty. They're worried both that it will be too broad and that it's being negotiated entirely in secret. When even the politicians who push Hollywood's legislation are questioning ACTA (which is being written by Hollywood insiders), perhaps it's time that ACTA negotiators finally open up the process and let the rest of us in.Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
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Filed Under: acta, arlen specter, copyright, patrick leahy, sunlight, trade agreements
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Time for an uprising
This is the type of thing that if it happened during the time of the founding of America, people would have out their guns and be off to hang them some treasonous traitors. But these days, every one is so damn complacent that we are getting our rights taken away from us right under our noses and no one seems to give a damn.
All these gun supporters talk about the right to bear arms, but they forget about their right to stand up against a corrupt government. Why isn't that happening? When did every one become such sheep?
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Re: Time for an uprising
All these gun supporters talk about the right to bear arms, but they forget about their right to stand up against a corrupt government. Why isn't that happening? When did every one become such sheep?
i agree. you should say that slowly and clearly into the clock radio by your bed and someone from the NSA will be by shortly to discuss it with you.
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And this will change it?
Or will it force it further underground, making it even harder to detect?
And I'll say it nice and loud into my clock radio - after all, in my personal opinion, life under tyranny isn't really worth living anyway.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
Any more - some would consider those words a 'threat' wouldn't that? Sad indeed.
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Off subject
Can we apply this a against the Bush police state?
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Re: Off subject
It seems the Christian whackos were at least partially right about one thing. Bush did bring on armageddon, it was just financial armageddon instead of the theological one.
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MPAA lobby is against this?
Wow if the MPAA put their two biggest legislative employees on a mission against this treaty, it must contain something they dont like. This is making me cautiously optimistic.
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"Oh this is a Great Thanksgiving dinner you made, Sister."
"Grandpa/Dad/Uncle, what is a ProIP"?
"Nothing Dear. Why do you ask?"
"My friend at School said we [Leahy]s and/or [Specter]s sold the country out."
Wouldn't that would be awkward! But what would you do? Ask for the Gravy?
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Re: "Oh this is a Great Thanksgiving dinner you made, Sister."
I think you totaly missunderstand the type of boarding schools these families utilize.
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When time stood still
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Hell, that's the PURPOSE for it.
That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends......
Spying Bills kill liberty.
I suppose - as always in history, once things get bad enough, something might happen, but I see the current tyrants trying to keep a balance enough to 'keep people happy'. But I don't see us getting *more* liberty going forward, everyday there seems to be one more law to take liberty away.
The Constitution may be a living document, but the 'leaders' we have now are choking it to death.
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Lobbyists
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Re: Lobbyists
You absolutely due, taxpayer or not, the only thing you need is the money.
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following the constituation = treason
It's too bad that any group of citizens who actually embraced their rights as set forth in the constitution and tried to move to abolish the government would be considered traitors and sent to Getmo, never to be seen again (the 'terrorists' would be identified and gathered via 'legal' wiretapping without any court orders or warrants that's currently being conducted by our government).
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Re:
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Nah
Nah. They are just thinking "What?! You're negotiating something like this without us?!"
They just want a piece of the action!
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bribery is redundant when all the laws are made for you
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documents are possibly the main concern here
compare it to another bill currently before the UN re: tax dodging. this seeks to stamp out tax havens in much the same way that ACTA seeks to stamp out places where dissemination of docs/files is unpunishable but has been shot out of the water by UK, USA, Australia and Canada.
another win for the rich at the expense of everyone else.
one more thing, (apologies if this has been done to death as it's my first time on this site) it's off topic but related. these are the top ten contributors (in descending order) to Bush's 2004 campaign:
Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, PricewaterhouseCoopers, UBS-Americas, Goldman Sachs, MBN Corp, Credit Suisse Group, Lehman Brothers, Citigroup, and Bear Stearns.
some doubtless familiar names to every reader.
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