Submit Your Comments About ACTA 124
alex_guy_CA Notes that the US Trade Representative — who has been negotiating the secret Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement without input from the American people or Congress — is seeking public submissions on how to conduct US foreign copyright policy. This means that Americans can file comments with the USTR asking for ACTA to be made public. Public Knowledge explains the process: "Under the Special 301 process the USTR seeks input from US copyright, trademark, and patent owners about whether policies and practices in foreign countries deny them adequate IP protection. The process has generally been used by IP holders to complain not only about lax enforcement in other countries, but also about limitations and exceptions in their laws that are beneficial to libraries, to education, to innovation, and to the public interest generally. The ability to comment in the Special 301 process is not limited to IP owners only. Any member of the public is free to file comments. If you believe in the importance of balanced copyright policies, file comments with the USTR and make your voice heard. Comments can be filed electronically via http://www.regulations.gov/ docket number USTR-2010-0003. You have to include the term '2010 Special 301 Review' in the 'Type Comment and Upload File' field. ... Deadline for filing is February 16 by 5 pm."
Hmmm... (Score:2)
Geist is going to have a field day with this one. What's the real motive?
Re:Hmmm... (Score:5, Insightful)
What's the real motive?
Pretending to care.
After careful consideration and review, they'll finally decide to do whatever the hell the oligarchy thinks is most profitable, as planned.
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
First question: "What's in it?" Once you tell us that, we'll have more questions.
Re: (Score:2)
according the Eric Cartmen this is called having your cake and eating it to
Re:Hmmm... (Score:5, Insightful)
What's the real motive?
Pretending to care.
They are not even pretending to care. If you read the notice, it is a solicitation for complaints against foreign countries who are failing to provide adequate protection to US intellectual property owners.
Re:Hmmm... (Score:5, Interesting)
I mean first off you've got the DOT secretary going nuts about Toyota [cars.com]. Deserved? Maybe. Did the Secretary help the situation by saying "don't drive your cars"? Definitely not. Then there's NSA's involvement with the China/Google issue. More government involvement that seems out of place. The "Buy American" clause, changes in tax breaks announced at the State of the Union address, blah blah blah.
So if that's the case, then I focused in on the part of the summary about "policies and practices in foreign countries". Reading the actual docket, the request for info is strictly about what countries should be placed on a watch list, not what policies etc (searching iPods at the border) should be (or not be) in place. It's JUST about what countries out there are making fake CDs and handbags etc. and need to be placed on the "watch list".
I'll bet a fake Rolex that China ends up on the watch list.
Re: (Score:2)
Yeah, Obama is pretty protectionist. Myself, I'm just still amazed that otherwise-intelligent people seem to believe that forcing 90% of the country to pay 10% of the country twice as much for cheap plastic gizmos and electronics is the way to make us all more prosperous. To borrow a charge leveled at the previous administration, "prosperity theater" is more like it...
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
I'm amazed that some people seem to think being able to import cheap crap from overseas is somehow meaningful when a huge (and growing) percentage of the working population is having a problem finding a job. As long as you have a job, then you can cope with rising prices. Without jobs, then the fact that imported goods are cheap merely means that you are spending your reserves a little slower than you would otherwise - and the money is STILL going out of the country, to a place with a lower standard of livi
Re: (Score:2)
Trade is always mutually beneficial [wikipedia.org] in the long run (otherwise the individuals involved in the trade wouldn't participate), unless abusive monopolies are involved, in which case the free market could become slanted towards them. Since most abusive monopolies are American, I don't understand what you're concerned about.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
What they buy (Score:1)
China has been acquiring the means to produce wealth, that's what they have been buying besides debt instruments. And that's why they are getting richer, and at such a rate. They buy anything at all related to manufacturing. You name it, they want it, either directly, or get just the R&D..whatever it takes. They bought the tools used to make more tools to then go on and build..anything. Anything at all, which they then export, and reap value-added profit from. They buy the means to produce wealth from
Re: (Score:2)
You've just brilliantly explained why I'm glad my teenager decided to focus on learning Mandarin rather than Spanish. If he's going to spend his whole life in their century, he might as well adapt to it.
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
Re: (Score:1)
The fact that you think so is an indication of how simplistic your view of economics is. It took me only 30 secs in Google to find this [wikipedia.org], and I believe there are other arguments still out there against the "trade is always mutually beneficial" overly-simplistic view.
Re: (Score:2)
I think if I loaned someone dozens of billions of dollars, I would probably diss their competition as much as possible too.. ;) I would want to make sure I got paid..
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
I'll bet a fake Rolex that China makes ends up on the watch list.
Fixed that for ya.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
They aren't asking for our in
File a request? Request corruption enquiry (Score:4, Interesting)
How under any circumstances is this legal? It's not national security you're talking about, it's a trade agreement. I'd be thankful I'm not American but unfortunately I'm Australian so with a government that's so I don't feel like I have any right to brag, nor reason to celebrate. What happened to the Western ideals of freedom and democrasy. Seem to have thrown the baby out with the bath water sometime around the start of the war on Terra.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Our LEFT wing political part is a good 2x more right-wing than most other right-wing parties in the world is what happened.
That and gerrymandering combined with a lack of term limits and now no limits on corporate campaign contributions.
Re: (Score:1)
You don't need term limits if our citizens would stop voting in the same bad people. It is as simple as that. I live in NJ and we finally elected a new governor that wasn't the incumbent. Term limits aren't the answer. Getting more people involved and respecting how and why our system works is the answer. And no, there should never be a "career politician."
Re: (Score:2)
In other words everything would be great if everyone would just do the right thing all the time...
Too many people game trade agreements. (Score:3, Insightful)
It's not national security you're talking about, it's a trade agreement.
As an American protectionist, I would think that the issue is really about how Asia approaches trade. They are all mercantile nations, not genuinely free trading ones, and, after waiting for 30 years for trade to somehow balance, I'm done with waiting and am ready to pull the plug on trade with at least Asia.
Australia, and Europe, I am not so worried about. Those nations come from the same cultural background, have been long allies,
Re: (Score:2)
Corruption?
Not treason? Punishable like murder, with 10 years minimum? Or beheading, in earlier days?
That’s the problem when the king is put on drugs by his royal household. No matter if the king is close to 300 million people. He’s just a dummy figure, sitting in his fancy throne (constitution & co) solely for decoration.
direct link (Score:5, Informative)
My message (Score:5, Informative)
[Also see the EFF's page about this [eff.org] if you're having a hard time coming up with a letter.]
This is my comment about the '2010 Special 301 Review' for the United States Trade Representatives. I would like to complain about the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, also known as ACTA. As a firm believer in transparency of government and democracy, I would like to strongly object to the outright secrecy displayed around these negotiations. In a modern age, this simply isn't an appropriate forum for creation of new law.
Furthermore, what I have seen in leaked versions of the ACTA is deeply upsetting, on many levels:
- The "Border Measures" provisions are unconstitutional, as well as extremely alarming -- search and seizure without probable cause, on no grounds more severe than suspicion.
- The ISP regulation is also extremely alarming, unduly allowing enforcement agents to remove the privacy and anonymity of citizens without a warrant.
- "Graduated response" programs, such as those required by the ACTA, threaten to deprive citizens of Internet access without probable cause. As Internet access becomes more and more central to civic and daily life, this becomes increasingly threatening.
- In general, the criminalization of copyright infringement, which has always been a civil crime, is a huge provision for what is presumably a "trade agreement" and is frankly arbitrary and despotic.
The creation of ACTA is wholly inappropriate given the existence of another intellectual property organization, WIPO. As a citizen of the United States, I demand that my government cease participation in this mockery of democracy at once.
Thank you for your time.
Ethan
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
My comments regard the ACTA agreement currently under secret negotiation. It's not that secret, and as something that has a hugely prohibitive affect on my personal and professional life, and that of my children, I am very offended by both its content and the method in which it is being developed.
Respect for the law requires respect for the governed; the ACTA treaty in no way represents my interests, and has not been carried out in a democratic or representative manner. Furthermore, it is grossly ou
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
http://www.regulations.gov/search/Regs/home.html#submitComment?R=0900006480a7bbba [regulations.gov]
If you follow the directions in the PDF [regulations.gov] it will give you both links.
By the way, that PDF indicates they prefer comments be uploaded as a file. In particular they prefer MS Word and Adobe Acrobat format.
On a side note that has got to be the worst web site I have seen in years. Parts of it render incorrectly in Internet Explorer lea
My comments on ACTA (Score:5, Interesting)
You can take your unconstitutional further criminalization of what is ultimately a civil issue -- copyright infringement -- and shove it up your ass. Rights holders already have all the recourse they need -- the public court system. Taking away my constitutional rights to satisfy the profit needs of some rights holders is simply unacceptable. What do we have to do? Toss CDs and DVDs into Boston Harbor?
Re:My comments on ACTA (Score:4, Funny)
That might not be a bad idea... /me calls for a Boston CD Party!
Re: (Score:2)
Pirate. Don't hide. Don't pretend we aren't doing it. Be PROUD of pirating. PUBLICIZE your piracy.
Says the brave AC...
No DRM without representation?!?!? (Score:3, Funny)
Sweet jeebus, man, don't do it! Dolphins are having hard enough of a time of it as is without you dumping cases of crappy Brittney Spears music on them...
Re: (Score:2)
As an environmentalist I want to strongly object to dumping plastic in the oceans.
If you want a publicity stunt then dumping the CDs by the doorstep to the department
of justice might be a better idea. Sadly these days that will probably get you
under trial as a terrorist.
Re: (Score:2)
As an environmentalist I want to strongly object to dumping plastic in the oceans. If you want a publicity stunt then dumping the CDs by the doorstep to the department of justice might be a better idea. Sadly these days that will probably get you under trial as a terrorist.
Or how about on the artist's doorstep?
Re: (Score:1)
Toss CDs and DVDs into Boston Harbor?
Ok to make a backup first?
Re: (Score:2)
'input' -> justification (Score:2)
With the probably predictable type of 'input' they'll get for the most part, does anybody think it will be used for anything -other than- justification for the stipulations in ACTA and keeping the 'negotiations' secret?
Re:'input' - justification (Score:3, Insightful)
Lol (Score:4, Interesting)
Re: (Score:1, Insightful)
screw keeping it on their own continent, i say keep it in their own borders, i'm 100% positive that Mexico and Canada would prefer the US kept its nose out of our business. I'm from Canada, so i know i'm at least 50% accurate there :)
Re:Lol (Score:4, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1)
Well you got modded up actually! So now you have to apologize
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
How about the USA keeps there dictatorial policy on their own continent?
Hey, what do you have against us Canadians?
The Americans can keep their own rules and unilateralism within their own borders, thank you very much.
Re: (Score:2)
Oh that's right. Don't forget the Canadians., They're the polite, intelligent Americans.
ok, ok, i know, blatant trolling, but I just couldn't resist....
Re: (Score:2)
You might want to rethink that one: Chinese Spies in Canada [www.cbc.ca]
Re: (Score:2)
Quick! Get this over to 4chan.
Sorry but I can't seem to get it to load... Something seems to be wrong with my Verizon wireless internet..
Where can I read the leaked copy? (Score:4, Interesting)
A leaked copy was posted on wikileaks, but they took everything offline due to their financial problems. Does anyone have a copy of the leaked document? Please post it here, or add it to this public wiki:
The URLs for the relevant wikileaks docs were:
I haven't found it in archive.org or Google cache. Help sought, thanks.
Re: (Score:2)
A leaked copy was posted on wikileaks, but they took everything offline due to their financial problems.
I think you may have accidentally buried the lead here. All the wikileaks.org URL sub-paths are failing, except for their secure submissions page, and their home page where they plead for financial help. One of the lines on http://wikileaks.org/ [wikileaks.org] says this:
"Even $10 will pay to put one of these reports into another ten thousand hands"
So I take it from this that you could probably get access to their ACTA leaks for a measly $10, and share it with 9,999 fellow Slashdotters to boot. You can request bank informa
Why? (Score:3, Insightful)
Submit Your Comments About ACTA
Seriously: Why?
It's not like they really care what us little people think. The fact is, what gets put into law will be what the big copyright holders want. Think **AA.
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
My hope is that the lawyers and representatives involved simply don't realize the magnitude of the number of people who think ACTA and unbalanced copyright in general is a bad idea, and that if a few thousand people write anything at all, they'll take notice. Wishful thinking? Probably..
Ethan
Re: (Score:2)
My hope is that the lawyers and representatives involved simply don't realize the magnitude of the number of people who think ACTA and unbalanced copyright in general is a bad idea, and that if a few thousand people write anything at all, they'll take notice.
Ethan, relatively few people care about copyrights, let alone know about ACTA. Yes, wishful thinking.
Re: (Score:2)
On the scale of American democracy, a few thousand ought to be considered relatively few. But, in reality, the vocal component of any group is always the extreme minority of those affected. To wit:
The sheer drama of this election has driven voter turnout to its highest level in centuries: 6%!
- Linda, A Head in the Polls, Futurama
Re: (Score:1)
My Grandfather always said, "There's a slim chance you'll ever win the lottery, but if you don't at least buy a ticket you won't even get that."
Re: (Score:2)
Huh. I didn't have a doting family member to give me advice about the lottery, so, I guess I'll have to substute what I've always said.
"There's a slim chance you'll ever win the lottery, but if you buy when the payout ratio is less than unity, you're playing a losing game."
Which I usually follow up with "And the grand prize is split amongst the winners in the event of multiples, making the payout ratio per ticket difficult to determine."
Anyway, the point is this: It's true that you can't win if you don't
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
'cause maybe they will think twice if they see the whole nation falling over this issue?
Are you serious? Dude, lay off the drugs.
Is there a point? (Score:3, Interesting)
I don't mean this at all in a snarky way, but...
Does anyone have a sense of whether or not us submitting comments would actually change the outcome?
Re: (Score:1)
Re:Is there a point? (Score:4, Insightful)
I'd say that's a bad example, because (if you ignore Gerrymandering), enough votes force the decision of who gets into office. With ACTA, we could have 200 million citizens protest, and the Congress and the President could still enact it.
But is there a point in supporting this process, if it's bought and paid for my special interests? (I'm not assuming it is; this is what my question was about.)
Re: (Score:2)
Leela: That's not true; the first robot president won by exactly one vote.
Bender: Ah, yes, John Quincy Adding Machine. He struck a cord with the voters when he pledged not to go on a killing spree.
Farnsworth: But, like most politicians, he promised more than he could deliver.
- A Head in the Polls, Futurama
Not requesting public comment on ACTA per se (Score:2, Interesting)
More draconian is better.. prison time++ (Score:4, Insightful)
Nothing will get any better until things get loony. I hope to see house confiscations, children removed from families, people put in jail.
We're already _almost_ there.
This will foster the development of better anonymous networks and the adoption of proper encryption techniques to defend against these crazy laws.
Just like consuming illegal drugs, nobody is going to stop copying things that don't exist.
Insanity does not help (Score:2)
You are arguing that the means (house confiscations, the removal of children, jail) justifies the ends (revising copyright). I don't think that ends justifies this means.
Besides which, what makes you think insanity will lead
Re: (Score:2)
And we've never had better access to illegal drugs!
Re: (Score:2)
Besides which, what makes you think insanity will lead to positive change? You have already had all these measures for illegal drugs for decades.
Including cases where illegal drugs were only alleged to have been there and no criminal charges were filed.
Re: (Score:2)
If you ask the previous generation, they'll tell you that things are already loony, you are just desensitized (or indoctrinated). What you mean is "loonier", and that will happen, but then the general populace will grow to accept it as well.
Nothing will get any better. Ever.
Re: (Score:2)
This will foster the development of better anonymous networks and the adoption of proper encryption techniques to defend against these crazy laws.
The obvious next step is that anonymity and encryption will become illegal, and ISPs will require snooping each connection to check that the protocols you use are either unencrypted or have a .gov back door.
The point is moot (Score:2)
Now that corporations can funnel as much unconstrained money as they want, look to them to dominate the debate on ACTS, DRM, copyrights, patents etc.
Turn off the lights, the party's over.
Kill Yourselves... (Score:2)
Very little to say, except perhaps this (Score:2)
Since you haven't conducted the ENTIRE preceedings with input from the Public, we don't consider them valid.
Until such time as the ENTIRE AGREEMENT is reviewed PUBLICLY, with input only from individuals and not fictitious persons, and with equal weight for the views of all said persons, we will disobey any and all parts of it which we see fit to disobey, as an act of civil disobediance.
Copy, paste, send.
Re: (Score:1)
Heh, I was going to go at it from the counterfeit dollar printing angle. Boy did I miss the boat.
please comment! (Score:4, Informative)
I'm sure a lot of people will cynically disregard the opportunity to comment as pointless; ignore this urge! While this comment period touches a fairly narrow area, if you care about this issue PLEASE COMMENT. Bring yourself up to speed on the proposed regulation (summary: http://www.regulations.gov/search/Regs/home.html#documentDetail?R=0900006480a7dc9b [regulations.gov]), and make your comment as efficient, relevant, and precise as possible.
Commenting on regs is NOT like writing your congressperson! Public comments to proposed regs are reviewed, and are considered; these public comment periods are not just for show. Industries with vested interests in an agency's regulations are aware of this, and are certain to have their say in the matter. Have yours!
There's more context in the linked summary, but here's basically what they're asking for input on:
USTR requests that interested persons identify those countries that deny adequate and effective protection for intellectual property rights or deny fair and equitable market access to U.S. persons who rely on intellectual property protection. USTR requests that, where relevant, submissions mention particular regions, provinces, states, or other subdivisions of a country in which an act, policy, or practice is believed to warrant special attention. Submissions may report positive or negative developments with respect to these sub-national entities.
The law it's referring to: (Score:1)
19 U.S.C. 2242 : US Code - Section 2242: Identification of countries that deny adequate protection, or market access, for intellectual property rights. [findlaw.com]
Both the Request for Comment and the underlying law specifically refer to the identification of foreign countries with bad IP policies. So I still don't see how this opens the door for complaints about the U.S. Trade Representative's secrecy regarding ACTA. I don't want to discourage anyone from complaining -- certainly the Trade Representative should kn
interesting (Score:2)
How can anyone comment (Score:2)
when we don't know what the discussion is all about! My biggest worry is how the USA is trying to create conflict for the sake of profits. It seems that in my lifetime the USA has done more to curtail my freedoms and not protect my interests than any previous generation. This is a comedy.....
Suggested text (Score:3, Insightful)
I ask you to make a part of the United States' position the following:
1. ACTA negotiations must be open and transparent and conducted in such a way as to permit the American public ongoing input into the negotiation process as it occurs, rather than conducted behind closed doors, with only the end result visible, after an agreement has been concluded.
2. The preservation of fair use must be a critical and integral part of the United States' position in the negotiations, and the fair use rights of its citizens must not be compromised in the final agreement.
3. Copyright terms must not be extended any further than U.S. law currently provides, and should, if anything, be reduced in order to provide the artistic compost necessary for the creative process to thrive. The U.S. must take the position that excessive copyright term lengths stifle innovation in the arts, rather than preserve it, and that its citizens and humanity as a whole are ill-served by the progressive march towards infinite copyright extension.
4. Penalties for copyright violation should and must fit the actual economic damage incurred by copyright holders, with Draconian punishment reserved exclusively for those who profit financially from infringement. The U.S. position should and must be that damages for infringement by individuals who do not seek to profit financially from their actions must neither be excessive nor unduly harsh.
5. Artists should be given the right to sue copyright infringers for monetary damages, regardless of when or whether those artists have formally registered their works, if and only if the infringing use was for the financial gain of the infringer.
To my American neighbours... (Score:1)
Signed,
A Canadian
Re: (Score:1)
You really meant
Signed,
Secretly Canadian
This is for complaints about specific countries. (Score:4, Insightful)
This is about "special 301" reviews [ustr.gov], which are a scheme for applying diplomatic pressure on countries that do trade things that US companies don't like. Anything submitted that doesn't relate to a specific issue with a specific country is irrelevant.
If you want to bitch about ACTA, write your congressional representative.
Okay, I'll Write Them: Sunlight for ACTA (Score:1)
Sunlight for ACTA
Sadly, I am a constituent and I'm sick of oath breakers
Today the topic is (ACTA) that is currently being negotiated by retards in the Office of the United States Trade Representative. Who I might add don't represent a damn thing about me.
more Unconstitutional garbage?
I wonder if it came from Biden's desk?
Meanwhile the FED is legal counterfeit. Clickty Clickty Clic
You should be ashamed. Public Comments are worthless admit it publicly you chicken oath breakers
You Waste Our Time With Your Fa
Re: (Score:1)
Oh yeah I forgot the part about regulations.gov filling in all the fields and hitting submit and it FAILS! hahahahaha! AHAHAHAHAHAA! Plausible deniability bitches!
I'd hand this joke over the the pro comedians but I keep getting a fsckin 404 eRRoR at change.gov
(Ba da booM)
Re: (Score:1)
Or how about M$ Feinstein? jah hahaha
Today's Topic: Cap And Trade
Dear Senat0r Diane Feinstein,
dear dear. oh dear oh dear
Um, okay what was I saying?
Oh yeah!
Do Not Sign No Cap And Trade Treaty with the IMF or the UN if it usurps the United States Of America's Original Constitution or even our current laws under peacetime since you have not declared any wars yet. Since it is like you would basically become a domestic terrorist (for lack of better terminology basically)
From the Office of Diane
There's only one needed comment (Score:2)
Note: The word I used was consuming. You must not buy, borrow, rent, steal, duplicate, distribute, or or otherwise allow your time or money to be expended on interacting with a product of these companies.
Don't buy media from stores.
Don't go to your local cinema.
Don't rent a DVD.
Don't download rips from torrent sites.
Write to your local radio stations and tell them you've stopped listening in protest of this treaty, and writ
301 (Score:3, Funny)
Last year, Canada was put on the watch list. Because... we're full of pirates!
Arrrr.
This year, please comment on just HOW ineffective it's been. Canada is (obviously) home to more pirates than ever, AND we have WAREHOUSES FULL of illegally copied goods ready to ship to the USA!
Really. I speak as a Canadian. I want to be on the "Priority Watch List", and not just on the "Watch List".
So get your comments in! Make this Canada's year!
Things to mention: "Canada has not yet implemented ex officio customs authority to allow warrentless seizures". "Canada is a massive trans-shipper of counterfeit goods". "Canada has not yet improved on its weak Internet IPR posture". And, just for good measure, state "I believe that Canada is a candidate for Section 306 monitoring at this time".
All the links seem to have dissappeared (Score:2)
:-{
Software patents (Score:1)
Re: (Score:1)
I noticed you volunteered to be part of the unbroken human "chain of custody" to count paper ballots instead of allowing "electronic vote tabulation devices" break the "chain of custody."
Thanks for your SERVICE to your COUNTRY!
Re: (Score:1)
Ohhhh Ahhhh the random packet sequences are to die for