Common Rights
Once more, I’ve been proven wrong to be possible to sleep safe and sound on two ears again. If you think the three strikes and you’re out policy was big news, then you’ll probably be astonished what you are going to read next. The past few days a few countries and lawmakers have been stirring the kettle to release a witches brew on a global scale, of which you, possibly not even know about!
So, what did you hear about ACTA? The secret copyright treaty law? The “Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement” which Obama’s administration refused to disclose due to “national security” concerns. According boingboing; it’s bad, very bad! I didn’t know anything about it till a few days ago on slashdot, where things like this are the general discussion; but which is still stuff which freightens, us all, working with the Internet on a total different way than the common man. But, who are we? Are we soon to be criminals or are we common people like you and anyone else around you?
We are artists, fans, creators and ready to change the world of beauty. Art is limitless and present in our culture for decades long. It has never got that limited before with copyrights and treaties like today. We’ve got a heritage of classical music and oldies, let our current music be a heritage too, so it doesn’t get lost in the vast stream of competitive and posessive behavior by a few corporate greeds on this planet. I don’t support illegal copies of anything, but, I don’t support such blanket laws, giving full power over everything without a fair chance at court, for some participating countries!
As an artist I feel very threatened with this treaty if it gets passed. Totally not because I am doing illegal things, but as indie artist, I try to distribute my music through the Internet with alternative channels; because, I do not believe in the current trend of the music industry where you sign away (all) rights for a nickle and a dime. Some works have to be protected and some have to be free; but in essence, the artist should always have the final choice which destination his work(s) will get and not the agency deciding about all works because of a signature. How did Picasso, Da Vinci and others get famous? Not by signing up with a global manager but by getting known as common art with common people, just like you and me…
It’s the global DMCA, maybe America’s wettest dream to come thru because it would enable and stick globalisation of any multimedia to a few corporations on the world, so be very very afraid which could come next! The RIAA and the MPAA would be dealing with your rights from now on, as citizen of the European community! This treaty is currently being discussed in South Korea, in super secret between the United States, EU, Swiss and Japan. About 40 or so countries are participating according the Huffingtonpost.
A lot of indie artists are using P2P to distribute and promote their releases on a very legal way; avoiding corporate greed and connect straight to their fans; they could all be in danger!
I am glad a lot of websites are concerned around the world dealing with this new ACTA treaty, which would be passed beyond our backs.
The proposal includes (but is not limited to):
- Internet Service Providers (ISP’s) will be held accountable for sharing and carrying information towards the public, where they’d have to police over all data coming in (and going out).
- The three strikes and you are out would be re-enabled giving your country the choice to kick you out for p2p traffic, even if it would be legal, because no court gets involved and ISP’s will have to decide to protect themselves.
- Each country has to be required to create it’s laundry list of penalties, including imprisonment; sufficient to deter future acts of infringement. Rape or murder would be nothing compared to this sentence;
- Non commercial infringement could lead to criminal penalties;
- generic medicines can be seizured in-transit from India to Brazil, Colombia and Peru, which would mean the access to medicines would be controlled by some greeds!
- Taking your backup cd of your favorite artist will be illegal, since trafficking in fake packaging for movies or music would become a criminal act;
- criminalisation of unauthorized camcording, if there weren’t enough laws protecting this already?
- legalize border searches without probable cause and possibly to seizure when such information is deemed illegal.
So, what can you do about these important details getting discussed and decided beyond your back, possibly limiting your future to come?
- Read more at Wikipedia, the EFF with their Sunlight for ACTA campaign, theregister, La Quadrature
- Demand transparency of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA petition)
- Join your group or discuss this with the common guy! (Soundcloud | Slashdot | DIGG)
- Write your MEP’s, respond to your favorite website, discuss!
- Protect your future, your legacy and your rights!
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Links included in this post are:
- ACTA at Wikipedia.
- Telecoms Package @ theregister
- Europe only goes half way in protecting Internet rights @ laquadrature.net
- Common-Rights group @ SoundCloud.
- YRO: Secret Copyright Treaty Leaks, It’s Bad, Very Bad! @ Slashdot.org
- Save your Internet freedom now | Three strikes and you’re out
- Michael Geist, The ACTA Internet Chapter
- ACTA petition
- It’s bad, very bad @ BoingBoing.net
- Those who signed the NDA for the ACTA petition | The greeds!
- A Patriot act for the Internet @ huffingtonpost.com
- Rape-nuts @ Thedailyshow
- Second degree murder and six other crimes are cheaper than pirating music
- Medicines can be seizured by Dutch customs
- ACTA and Issues related to pharmaceuticals and counterfeit medicines @ Foreign Affairs and International Trade of Canada.
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