Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement

"I've been following the developments of the ultra-secret Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement since this document leaked several months ago. This treaty represents an assemblage of the world's wealthiest countries getting together to fight a rampant problem - not public health, not rogue states, not even terrorism, but copyright infringement.

It has become clear that the term counterfeiting will not be restricted to physical goods, where cheap, inferior reproductions could cause harm to the unwitting end user, but instead expanded to target "internet distribution." To quote Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic (CIPPIC) counsel David Fewer,

“If Hollywood could order intellectual property laws for Christmas, what would they look like? This is pretty close.”

This agreement is slated to be fast-tracked with a goal of having it signed by the end of this year. Unfortunately, the entire process has remained shrouded in mystery with little public input on an issue that will assuredly affect them. It's time to end these kinds of one-sided debates.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation has a very informative page on the treaty as well as a means of contacting your senator - urge them to demand that this treaty be brought into the light so we can judge its contents."

[via Zwybak!]