EU Apparently Agrees That ACTA Should Be More Transparent

from the ok,-so-open-up dept

Fri, Mar 5th 2010 3:11pm — Mike Masnick

Via Jamie Love we learn that at an EU trade policy meeting, EU member states have agreed to push for more transparency with ACTA, including releasing the draft negotiation documents as soon as possible. Apparently, this position was driven by Sweden, who we already noted was unhappy with where ACTA was heading. Since this apparently includes all EU member states, does this mean that Denmark has backed down from its hardline position against transparency? And if this is the case, who is left arguing that the documents need to be kept secret? As far as I can tell from the earlier list, we're now down to Singapore, South Korea and the US. That's odd, because Singapore, South Korea and the US already have trade agreements of this nature. In fact, much of ACTA is actually based on the agreement between the US and South Korea -- which is already proving problematic for those in South Korea.

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Filed Under: acta, eu, transparency

16 Comments

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Anonymous Coward, 5 Mar 2010 @ 3:24pm

"Via Jamie Love we learn that at an EU trade policy meeting, EU member states have agreed to push for more transparency with ACTA"

Good news, however it's amazing how these authorities are suddenly in favor of greater ACTA transparency only AFTER most of the documents they want to keep secret the most have already leaked. Where was this transparency sentiment before these documents leaked?
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Anonymous Coward, 5 Mar 2010 @ 3:26pm

"As far as I can tell from the earlier list, we're now down to Singapore, South Korea and the US."

Wrong, according to the U.S. they ARE being transparent.
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Anonymous Poster, 5 Mar 2010 @ 3:34pm

Re:
Which we know to be a bullshit claim.
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gh, 5 Mar 2010 @ 3:39pm

Re: Re:
Might have been sarcasm, though you never know sometimes.
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crade (profile), 5 Mar 2010 @ 3:42pm

Re:
of course they are.. after all, some stuff still got out despite their best efforts to suppress everything.. Thats being transparent isn't it?
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Anonymous Coward, 5 Mar 2010 @ 3:45pm

Re:
This way the politicians can take credit for encouraging transparency when, in reality, they don't really encourage transparency, it's just that the documents have already leaked so it is now pointless not to encourage transparency.
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i ate my wheatus, 5 Mar 2010 @ 3:48pm

apparently murder is bad
and apparently so is hitting someone with a hammer but we dont have a law stating hammer makers are responsible do we?

Maybe we should....
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DJ, 5 Mar 2010 @ 3:51pm

Re: Re:
LOL. Unfortunately running for a few steps in an attempt cover up tripping over a rock DOESN'T constitute excercise.
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DJ, 5 Mar 2010 @ 3:53pm

Re: apparently murder is bad
A) No. We shouldn't.
B) WTF does that have to with this topic?
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Nastybutler77 (profile), 5 Mar 2010 @ 4:28pm

Re: apparently murder is bad
That hasn't stopped the anti gun groups from trying to sue gun manufacturers when children are shot.
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Anonymous Coward, 5 Mar 2010 @ 5:30pm

Re: apparently murder is bad
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Anonymous Coward, 5 Mar 2010 @ 5:30pm

Re: apparently murder is bad
Left field called, they want that comment back
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NAMELESS.ONE, 6 Mar 2010 @ 7:05am

its about the sudden shift to wanting transpancy
Boy you guys didn't get it too bad, and how rediculous they ( EU ) are now sounding.

out the deal completely NOW. or don't and suffer .....regime change.
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Hephaestus (profile), 7 Mar 2010 @ 4:55pm

Re: Re: Re:
"Unfortunately running for a few steps in an attempt cover up tripping over a rock DOESN'T constitute excercise."

The backpedaling the politicians and media executives have to do for the months following ACTA's transparency might constitute exercise.

definition : backpedal - modify one's opinion, make it less strong ... rinse lather repeat.
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Hephaestus (profile), 7 Mar 2010 @ 5:03pm

Re: Re: apparently murder is bad
"but we dont have a law stating hammer makers are responsible"

"B) WTF does that have to with this topic?"

It has to do with secondary liablity.

Your kid kills someone, you are held responsible and charged with murder ... secondary liability. (iffy)

Someone uploads a file to your site that infringes, you are fined ... secondary liability.

Someone uses your WiFi to download a file, you get your internet access shut off ... secondary liability.

ACTA has secondary liability built into it. It also has guilt based on accusations not proof, and your need to prove you didnt do what you are accused of (proving a negative in most cases is impossible).
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gHANDI, 8 Mar 2010 @ 8:58am

Re: Re: Re: apparently murder is bad
Apparently they think we should change our law to "everyone is guilty until proven innocent" %@&$!
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