SOPA, PIPA, ACTA - I beg you, READ THIS!
Jan 20, 2012, 5:25:29 PM by ~Dani1202
Journals / Personal
First things first: ACTA concerns more than just the US citicens among us, unlike SOPA - which obviously will still break much of the internet IF it passes!
Okay, so after the internet blackout this wednesday I'm sure everyone has heard about SOPA and PIPA by now. If not, get out of the rock you've been living under these months, open up your trusted online news source and type "SOPA" into the search engine. And then try the same with "ACTA". You most likely won't find much about it, BBC and CCN didn't turn up anything when I searched there, for example.
So, What is ACTA?
ACTA stands for Anti Counterfeit Trade Agreement. And what it does is basically the same as SOPA and PIPA: It allows internet sites being taken down because of copyright infringement, even if it's committed by users. Ok, but how can it be any worse than SOPA?
Easy: By being an international agreement! Back when I first heard about SOPA, I thought only the US government could attempt something that stupid. But then I accidentally stumbled opun an article about ACTA. Turns out this agreement has been developed for years. In secret. And that's what they call democracy nowadays. As of the latest status I could find (December 2011), 8 of 11 Countries had already signed ACTA. That includes Canada, the USA, New Zealand and (if I remember correctly) Japan, to name a few.
In the European Union - which happens to include my home country - the treaty has been signed by - no joke - the Council of Agriculture and Fishing. That's right, farmers and fishermen decided over copyright laws and the internet. But, for EU citizens, there is still hope! Right now - unless I missed some news (which are scarce) - the matter is carried to European Court of Justice, to check if it's actually compatible with EU civil rights. If nothing's in the way, the Eurpoean Parliament will decide on ACTA. I can only pray the treaty will be rejected. But wait! I can do more than praying - We can do more! Namely:
* Spread the word! Copy this text into your own journal, tweet about it, write it on your facebook wall, your blog, make a youtube video,inform your friends and relatives, print and hand out flyers! So that as many people as possible will do the following:
* Inform yourself! I've provided some links in the bottom of this journal, click them, read them, do your own research! And finally, once you've educated yourself enough:
* A C T ! There are a few online petititions running, though by far not as many as against SOPA. Sign them! Set up your own, if you have the possibility. Contact your representitives! Call them, e-mail them, write them letters, do anything within your power to express your concerns! The protest against ACTA is not as loud as the one against SOPA - change that!
if you wan't more info go to Dani1202's blog, this thing needs to be stopped PRONTO!!!!!!!!