What Does Japan Need To Do To Deal With The Aftermath Of The Devastating Earthquake? Apparently Pass ACTA!

from the say-what-now? dept

Mon, Oct 3rd 2011 1:44pm — Mike Masnick

This past weekend, as you know, Japan held a signing ceremony for ACTA. While that's already been covered, the folks at StopACTANow pointed out something really bizarre in the Japanese announcement concerning the signing ceremony. It lists out five points. The first four are all more or less understandable via paraphasing: (1) there's a signing ceremony in Japan (2) ACTA was kicked off by suggestions from Japan, and driven by the US (3) a bunch of other countries participated and (4) all of the participants will be at the signing, and those who are ready to sign, will. But the bizarre thing is the fifth point, which reads as follows:

On the preceding day, Friday, September 30, an international symposium entitled, �Global Intellectual Property Strategy and the Reconstruction from the Great East Japan Earthquake: Eliminating Counterfeit and Pirated Products through ACTA�, will be held in Sendai as a side event of the signing ceremony.

By now this has already happened, and we haven't seen any info about it, but, seriously? What does the Great East Japan Earthquake have to do with intellectual property at all? And is Japan really suggesting that ACTA plays some sort of role in rebuilding Japan? Perhaps ACTA supporters and their efforts to keep any outside influence away from the negotiators has gone to their head, such that they think they can say any insane thing and people won't notice.

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Filed Under: acta, copyright, earthquakes, japan

46 Comments

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:Lobo Santo (profile), 3 Oct 2011 @ 1:48pm

Global Steelers
Wouldn't want anybody out there benefiting from reconstruction techniques without paying those who invented them, would we?

(@out_of_the_blue Was that right? I'm new at this.)
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Anonymous Coward, 3 Oct 2011 @ 1:49pm

Poor Mike Masnick. Intellectual property enforcement just drives him crazy.
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- Anonymous Coward, 3 Oct 2011 @ 1:51pm
  
  Re:
  Poor TAM, earthquakes have rattled his brain into being unable to provide any rational or coherent points.
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  - techflaws.org (profile), 4 Oct 2011 @ 4:34am
    
    Re: Re:
    Actually he was like this from day one. No need for earthquakes.
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- Dark Helmet (profile), 3 Oct 2011 @ 1:52pm
  
  Re:
  Just want to make sure I've got this right. Japan ties ACTA to the earthquake recovery, and MIKE is the crazy one?
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  - Rikuo (profile), 3 Oct 2011 @ 2:54pm
    
    Re: Re:
    Seriously, I had to blink and scratch my head when I read that. How can Mike be crazy when its the Japanese who think counterfeiting = earthquakes?
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  - Hephaestus (profile), 4 Oct 2011 @ 7:22am
    
    Re: Re:
    "Just want to make sure I've got this right. Japan ties ACTA to the earthquake recovery, and MIKE is the crazy one?"
    
    I think they might be trying to say that not signing ACTA will cause earthquakes ...
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Anonymous Coward, 3 Oct 2011 @ 1:49pm

Obligatory
FREE EARTHQUAKES ARE KILLING THE EARTHQUAKE INDUSTRY!
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- That Anonymous Coward (profile), 3 Oct 2011 @ 1:54pm
  
  Re: Obligatory
  Bah beat me to it!
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  - Anonymous Coward, 3 Oct 2011 @ 1:55pm
    
    Re: Re: Obligatory
    You should have copyrighted it. Now only I will profit from it, muhahahahahahahaha
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    - Anonymous Coward, 3 Oct 2011 @ 2:17pm
      
      Re: Re: Re: Obligatory
      To late, I patented and trademarked earthquake and all its derivatives.
      
      You will be hearing from my lawyer after I subpoena your info and sue Mike into oblivion for hosting your infringing comment.
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Anonymous Coward, 3 Oct 2011 @ 1:54pm

More anti-IP FUD from Pirate Mike. Snore.

This isn't even a story. You don't actually know what was presented at that event, but that doesn't stop you from saying that whatever it was it must have been stupid.

Jesus, Pirate Mike. Is it too much to ask that you know what someone actually said before you decide that what they said is stupid?

You are just so incredibly desperate to spread FUD about IP that it's sad. And, yeah, this blog isn't pro-piracy. Give me a break.
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- Anonymous Coward, 3 Oct 2011 @ 2:17pm
  
  Re:
  Is FUD back in vogue now?
  
  You don't know what was presented at the event, but that doesn't stop you from saying that whatever it was the title, which we all know definitively, must not be stupid.
  
  The title is something that was actually said and it was actually stupid.
  
  You are just so incredibly desperate to use a several weeks old buzz word it's sad.
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    Anonymous Coward, 3 Oct 2011 @ 2:21pm
    
    Re: Re:
    LOL! Mike is so desperate to say anything negative that he'll even FUD out the title of an event without knowing anything else about it. How desperate can chubby be?
    
    Yeah, this is a "tech blog" and not an anti-IP blog. Yeah, Pirate Mike isn't pro-piracy.
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    - Anonymous Coward, 4 Oct 2011 @ 7:13am
      
      Re: Re: Re:
      Are you sure you understand what FUD means because it would apply much more aptly to a crass attempt to tie real devastation caused by a natural disaster to the ACTA than it would apply to pointing out how insane that is regardless of if you are for or against the ACTA. But please go on, never admit mistakes. Brush off this massive faux pas as if only the people who notice it are the desperate ones. It's doing wonders for your credibility, and the industry you appear to be defending. Unless this is all just an elaborate troll to convince everyone to remain entrenched against an increasingly out-of-touch content industry in which case: well done!
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    Anonymous Coward, 3 Oct 2011 @ 2:25pm
    
    Re: Re:
    LOL! Mike is so desperate to say anything negative that he'll even FUD out the title of an event without knowing anything else about it. How desperate can chubby be?
    
    Yeah, this is a "tech blog" and not an anti-IP blog. Yeah, Pirate Mike isn't pro-piracy.
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    - Rikuo (profile), 3 Oct 2011 @ 3:00pm
      
      Re: Re: Re:
      Mike can write whatever he damn well pleases on this site. Can't you understand? The guys behind ACTA have somehow meshed the earthquake and counterfeit products together.
      
      What if next week, your state senators pass a bill increasing the punishment for selling drugs and at the signing ceremony, one of the points to be discussed will be where to build the next big highway. Its two completely separate issues being joined together because, if someone objects to ACTA, then pro-ACTA people will say "Then they must be against earthquake reconstruction too!"
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      - Anonymous Coward, 3 Oct 2011 @ 4:50pm
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re:
        So wait, will signing the agreement assure them more earthquakes? Was the earthquake cased because they considered ACTA?
        
        Mike has come ever so close to falling over on this one, he is leaning so hard to one side trying to make a point that it is laughable!
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        The eejit (profile), 3 Oct 2011 @ 11:03pm
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
        Well, considering what you just argued (essentially, that earthquakes are pirating music and movies)... I think I might just side with Mike on this one.
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- Anonymous Coward, 3 Oct 2011 @ 2:45pm
  
  Re:
  "This isn't even a story."
  
  Why must every discussion be a 'story'?
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That Anonymous Coward (profile), 3 Oct 2011 @ 1:56pm

They borrowed from the Westboro playbook?

Counterfeit merchandise made God angry and to punish them he sent the earthquake.

Makes perfect sense...
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- Atkray (profile), 3 Oct 2011 @ 4:32pm
  
  Re:
  That is the best explanation so far.
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jimbo, 3 Oct 2011 @ 1:59pm

didn't changes to the copyright laws in New Zealand happen at the time of emergency after the earthquakes there earlier this year? how those changes aided the emergency measures needed, i have no idea, but everyone can rest easy in the knowledge that, whenever a catastrophe occurs, the changes to copyright laws will be there to see you through those tough times!
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Anonymous Coward, 3 Oct 2011 @ 2:03pm

It tells me Sony owns the Japanese Government as a subsidiary.
Any other explanation is just plain nonsense.
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Anonymous Coward, 3 Oct 2011 @ 2:12pm

Pirates must've uploaded those Earthquakes.
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- Anonymous Coward, 3 Oct 2011 @ 4:43pm
  
  Re:
  I wonder if they use Bit-torrent?
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  - The eejit (profile), 3 Oct 2011 @ 11:04pm
    
    Re: Re:
    Nope, it's Bit-Quake in Japan. /BTB
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Anonymous Coward, 3 Oct 2011 @ 2:32pm

For a nominal fee, I am pre-selling tickets to Barack Obama's Global Intellectual Property Strategy and the Reconstruction from the Great Hurricane Katrina event.

Tickets will go fast!
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Pixelation, 3 Oct 2011 @ 2:33pm

Small round hole
�Global Intellectual Property Strategy and the Reconstruction from the Great East Japan Earthquake: Eliminating Counterfeit and Pirated Products through ACTA�

I think the earthquake rattled their brains. Big square peg in a small round hole...
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Anonymous Coward, 3 Oct 2011 @ 2:42pm

"What does the Great East Japan Earthquake have to do with intellectual property at all?"

IP could hinder the technology necessary to better resist and detect earthquakes.
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gorehound (profile), 3 Oct 2011 @ 2:43pm

Anti Consumer Trading Act
Bunch of crud laws against Consumers and all negotiated in secret.Make sure not to vote for snyone who was in on the creation of this in Washington.
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Rikuo (profile), 3 Oct 2011 @ 2:52pm

Perhaps whoever wrote that point was that crazy Islamic imam, can't remember his name, but he said that women wearing revealing clothing causes earthquakes. Its got the exact same logical disconnection.
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Anonymous Coward, 3 Oct 2011 @ 2:53pm

Japan along with the US are the mothers of ACTA.
Japan sees China doing what they did to the US and want to do something about it, many in Japan believe they must transform into a pure idea market, so does a lot of influent people in America, the problem is that free ideas is the one thing that will keep them in the game and they want to kill it.
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Anonymous Coward, 3 Oct 2011 @ 2:55pm

Mike, what the hell?

Do you think that as a result of the earthquake (that effects only a portion of the country) that the government no longer functions? Do you think they all stopped doing everything except working on the earthquake zone?

What is the appropriate time after an earthquake to sign agreements? Is their some sort of mourning period? Is it years, decades?

Sorry, but your hatred of this agreement is clear, and it is clear you are willing to stoop all the way down this low to try to discredit the counties that sign it. It's sad really.
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  Anonymous Coward, 3 Oct 2011 @ 3:05pm
  
  Re:
  Marked insightful. Pirate Mike will stop at nothing to spread FUD about IP law.
  
  Yeah, this isn't a piracy-apology website. IT'S a TECH BLOG! LOL!
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  - InternetCoward (profile), 3 Oct 2011 @ 3:40pm
    
    Re: Re:
    Patents and tech are two very related subjects. After all, aren't patents allegedly supposed to promote technological advancements? So it's not outside the scope of a tech blog to discuss the merits of this allegation.
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  - Anonymous Coward, 3 Oct 2011 @ 6:07pm
    
    Re: Re:
    and you're not a pro-IP shill, you're just an IP lawyer.
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- Mike Masnick (profile), 4 Oct 2011 @ 3:05am
  
  Re:
  Do you think that as a result of the earthquake (that effects only a portion of the country) that the government no longer functions? Do you think they all stopped doing everything except working on the earthquake zone?
  
  I said no such thing. I fully expect the government to continue functioning. I'm just wondering why they're claiming that ACTA is key to the post-earthquake reconstruction.
  
  What is the appropriate time after an earthquake to sign agreements? Is their some sort of mourning period? Is it years, decades?
  
  Um. I don't think you read the post. This has nothing to do with the time between quake and signing.
  
  Sorry, but your hatred of this agreement is clear, and it is clear you are willing to stoop all the way down this low to try to discredit the counties that sign it. It's sad really.
  
  Sorry, but your hatred of this site is clear, and it is clear you are willing to stoop all the way down this low to try to discredit Techdirt and the people who post here. It's sad really.
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- Anonymous Coward, 9 Jun 2012 @ 8:55am
  
  Re:
  'credit' or credibility can't be asserted by you or any (government) authority. It must be earned.
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cc (profile), 3 Oct 2011 @ 3:04pm

"Oh look, we just signed a treaty about YOUR MOM IS UGLY. Ha ha! You can't touch us! We can do anything we like!"
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Anonymous Coward, 3 Oct 2011 @ 6:41pm

Perhaps we are intended to infer (from point number 5) that the Great East Japan Earthquake was actually a counterfeit or pirated earthquake. However, I must admit that I fail to see how an authentic earthquake could be much of an improvement over a counterfeit or pirated earthquake, or how being a signatory to ACTA can ensure a better "earthquake experience." How would I be able to recognize the difference between the real thing and a counterfeit if I weren't informed of the earthquake beforehand and told what details to watch for? Is there, perhaps, a difference in the quality of the aftershocks? Would I care? If so why? Is there any difference in the effect on my wallet? The economy? Hmmm...
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Anonymous Coward, 3 Oct 2011 @ 8:24pm

Japan, America's bit**es since WWII.
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Anonymous Coward, 4 Oct 2011 @ 3:45am

RIA just ordered some earthquake generators
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Anonymous Coward, 4 Oct 2011 @ 3:51am

The relation between the earthquake and the japanese media content it that it showed that there are no giant robots, there are no esoteric high tech, just poor human beings walking to the grill. They must rebuild the giant robot illusion. Just the some problem US had with Spider-man after 9/11.
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Jimr (profile), 4 Oct 2011 @ 6:50am

Now if your country does not sign then you are obvious not in support of Reconstruction from Great East Japan Earthquake.... you insensitive clod!
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Nadine (profile), 4 Oct 2011 @ 7:15pm

Encourage SMEs and VCs to Invest More in IP While Winning them over for ACTA?
The only other documentation is a press release from METI (Japan Ministry of Economy Trade & Industry) which states they will make the case on how protecting IP can facilitate recovery from the earthquake, and that they are calling on the public to participate in the forum. See (in Japanese):
http://www.meti.go.jp/press/2011/09/20110922006/20110922006.pdf

(According to the announcement) METI is also offering a free post-presentation conference aimed at internal IP counsel/advisors, general attorneys and patent attorneys. Their pitch for why you would want to come? You are an SME wanting to take your services/products global. What better place than to mill around at a forum (ahem) signing ceremony where there are dignitaries from numerous countries, all interested in protecting IP and dealing with counterfeits of your products?

Looking at the agenda though, given that signing countries are making a presentation, it seems to me that is really the opposite: they are giving ACTA signing countries a chance to "impress the gravity of the situation" on IP policy makers in various industries. Clever.
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