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Even Senators Who Want Stronger Copyright Laws Are Worried About ACTA

from the as-they-should-be dept

Fri, Oct 3rd 2008 4:11am — Mike Masnick

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.

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Filed Under: acta, arlen specter, copyright, patrick leahy, sunlight, trade agreements

19 Comments

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NetworkElf, 3 Oct 2008 @ 4:33am

Well, if Hollywood's puppet Senators are getting ancy about it, then that really is a bad sign.
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ScytheNoire, 3 Oct 2008 @ 6:06am

Time for an uprising
Citizens should be getting pissed about this type of thing. This should be covered on the news, should be a hot topic in the political debate, and should have citizens, who will be the ultimate losers if this happens, really pissed off.

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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chris (profile), 3 Oct 2008 @ 6:30am

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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Overcast, 3 Oct 2008 @ 6:40am

Thing is - there are already laws that are supposed to 'protect' the copyright holders - but they don't work now.

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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Benjie, 3 Oct 2008 @ 7:14am

Off subject
"[...]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."

Can we apply this a against the Bush police state?
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J.Locke, 3 Oct 2008 @ 7:36am

MPAA lobby is against this?
"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."

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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Truthbringer, 3 Oct 2008 @ 7:38am

Re: Off subject
"Can we apply this a against the Bush police state?"

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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Ivan, 3 Oct 2008 @ 7:41am

"Oh this is a Great Thanksgiving dinner you made, Sister."
I don't see how this is newsworthy. For all we know, Patrick Leahy and Arlen Specter may have kids or grandkids who watch what people bearing their last name do for a living. Thankfully the interwebs makes it easy for them to do so. Using the internet to understand the value they bring to the genepool is always essential in a voting year, especially considering potential awkward/undesirable Thanksgiving conversations:

"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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Scott Lithgow, 3 Oct 2008 @ 7:44am

When time stood still
Do you think these guys actually understand the future or are just looking to keep the status quo
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Anonymous Coward, 3 Oct 2008 @ 8:02am

Re: "Oh this is a Great Thanksgiving dinner you made, Sister."
"Wouldn't that would be awkward! But what would you do? Ask for the Gravy?"

I think you totaly missunderstand the type of boarding schools these families utilize.
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Overcast, 3 Oct 2008 @ 8:20am

Can we apply this a against the Bush police state?

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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InanimateOne, 3 Oct 2008 @ 9:03am

Lobbyists
Lobbyists for the the film and recording industry are getting their money's worth. Seems like they have a strong voice in Senators Patrick Leahy and Arlen Specter. Whether this ACTA treaty gets approved or not remains to be seen, but they are getting a good return on their investment. Contribute to a Senator, get the legislation you want. Wish taxpayers had that kind of pull. Visit my blog @ Shear The Sheep for more info.
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Anonymous Coward, 3 Oct 2008 @ 10:54am

Re: Lobbyists
"Contribute to a Senator, get the legislation you want. Wish taxpayers had that kind of pull"

You absolutely due, taxpayer or not, the only thing you need is the money.
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Anymouse government worker, 3 Oct 2008 @ 11:36am

following the constituation = treason
"it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government"

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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Rekrul, 3 Oct 2008 @ 1:27pm

It's not that the content industry puppets are truly worried about what ACTA contains, they just don't like being left out of the loop. Once they know exactly what it contains and how it will greatly expand and rewrite copyright laws, they'll be fine with it.
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mischab1, 3 Oct 2008 @ 4:07pm

Re:
The senators do have a reason to be worried. If Hollywood can get what they want this way they might stop giving "donations" to the senators.
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Anonymous Cowherd, 4 Oct 2008 @ 12:10am

Nah
"They're worried both that it will be too broad and that it's being negotiated entirely in secret."

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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raggs, 6 Oct 2008 @ 1:40am

bribery is redundant when all the laws are made for you
when the rich get all the freedoms they want through legislation they won't need to buy politicians anymore, that probably scares the b jesus out of any pollie. even those who don't take campaign 'donations' still look to the corporations for sweet jobs on the board when the public finally offloads their macheavellian arse. and they only get these because of their contacts in politics which will be redundant.... [return to start]
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raggs, 6 Oct 2008 @ 2:06am

documents are possibly the main concern here
i read that the ACTA legislation will make it an offence for you to read a leaked document via the internet. this includes govt docs of course and is apparently the reason why this bill is getting such swift passage. "Hey george have you heard them pesky plebs can't find out what we're doing with their rights/money/country/future through any avenue now?! let's get busy."

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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