Not Very Transparent: EU ACTA Negotiators Present To EU Parliament In Secret
from the where's-the-latest-draft dept
The EU Parliament made it quite clear back in March that it was not happy with what EU negotiators were pushing for within ACTA, and also not happy about the serious lack of transparency in the process. In response, ACTA negotiators finally released the text, but hinted that this was a one time deal, and now we're back to secrecy. Indeed, after the latest negotiations, no new text was released. Hell, it wasn't even mentioned.Now, even more disappointing are reports that the EU negotiators have gone to discuss the matter with the EU Parliament, but would only do so in secret, forbidding those in attendance from telling anyone what was discussed. In other words, for all the talk of openness and transparency, it appears it was all a bluff. They showed one (incomplete) draft, and went right back to secrecy. It's as if they thought that people asking for transparency could be fooled by a quick glimpse.
It turns out that there were actually two separate meetings held for MEPs, with the first one being secret, and the second one being open. Some of what happened in that second meeting is now being reported in the press, with the EU negotiators insisting they won't fall for "US hypocrisy," within ACTA (whatever that means) -- but refusing calls by MEPs to make the draft public again. It's still not at all clear what was said in the first meeting.
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Filed Under: acta, eu, negotiations, transparency
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You are to funny, and I know you are joking. ACTA can not be enforced, if they attempt to, it will lead to a backlash along multiple paths. All the paths make the people pushing for ACTA less relevant. It will also speed their businesses failures. While there is not a clear consensus on finer points of how to push back, there is a general design that is being added to every day.
As some one in this thread said "On the internet we have them outnumbered" that is the key point that makes ACTA un-enforcable. In another blog (it requires a authentication so I am not supplying the link) someone mentioned that there are 7-8 times as many people infringing as there are drug users in the US. In South Korea, Spain and Sweden the numbers were much higher. In all countries these numbers are rising and in most cases have already passed the critical threshold needed for it to be irreversible.
From a legal perspective they can get ACTA passed. From the practical, tactical, and numeric perspectives its a non-starter.
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reaches me , it no longer has the DRM in it.
So it does not matter how strong a protection it has , since it has none by the time I get to it.
At the same level , I know these stories , while entertaining , have no real value to me , as an end user ,
because it will only matter to people who are enslaved by their masters laws.
I am not enslaved by their laws , therefore I do not care.
On the internet we have them outnumbered , laws are enforced through force of will , violence , or being outnumbered.
In our situation , we have numbers on our side. And for those strong enough , like the pirate bay guys , and other sites and people who refuse to go along with the slave masters , then we have force of will on our side as well.
Their laws mean nothing and their actions will be counteracted.
As long as the real world is unfavorable to their business model , they will forever be at war.
I just ignore them like a big dog ignoring a little barking dog.
You can't stop them , you can't control them , but since their laws don't matter in the end , you can ignore them.
Let them bark.
Only their slaves will listen.
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hehe....what are you going to do when the deer have guns?
i'll agree, watching the old world in it's death throes, violently lashing out, is entertaining.
i'll disagree though, to wit: you should care, as the power and violence of the old world order will take out innocents (that's you and me) on its way out.
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You are only fooling yourself if you truly believe "we" have them outnumbered on the Internet. You and I and some of the Internet population may be seeing the big picture, but the majority of the Internet is a bunch of goddamn idiots.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_they_came...
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U.S. Hypocrisy
"There is slight hypocrisy from the U.S. over the protection of geographical indications" he said, as the U.S. opposed that in ACTA, but was using trademarks to get the agreement through the back door. "We will not swallow it," he said of the E.U.'s position regarding negotiating with the U.S.
Geographical indications generally apply to high-quality agricultural products and are a name or sign placed on a product that shows its place of origin.
So the issue tainted by hypocrisy is Champagne and Scotch? Yes, that's clearly the most important issue on the table.
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Join the gang ?
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;)
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The next time a politician uses that line we should ask if we can listen in on all his phone calls, read his e-mails, bug his house and office, and follow him around. If he answers no the next question is "senator what are you hiding?"
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