European Parliament in favour of stealing!

[Stormlight]

A joint resolution on Transparency and State of Play of ACTA negotiations from virtually all party groups in the European Parliament was tabled earlier today. It will debated tonight and faces a vote on Wednesday. If approved, the resolution marks a major development in the fight over ACTA transparency. It calls for public access to negotiation texts and rules out further confidential negotiations. Moreover, the EP wants a ban on imposing a three-strikes model, assurances that ACTA will not result in personal searchers at the border, and an ACTA impact assessment on fundamental rights and data protection.

So the European parliament shows some backbone! Good!

And the link

[Ensign Steve]

What's ACTA? Is that like a Euro digital rights thingie?

[Stormlight]

Nope. It's worse. much worse.

[Watser?]

There was a plan to introduce a ban on downloading music, movies and games here (at the moment only offering content for download without permission from the copyright owners is illegal), with all the privacy violations that enforcing it would mean. Thank the gods that the government collapsed and it has been postponed until after the elections (and probably after the formation of a new government) at least. A small leftist party (the one I always vote for by default) has started a campaign to stop it.

[Stormlight]

The European Parliament defied the EU executive today (10 March), casting a vote against an agreement between the EU, the US and other major powers on combating online piracy and threatening to take legal action at the European Court of Justice.

A strong majority of MEPs (663 against and 13 in favour) today voted against the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), arguing that it flouts agreed EU laws on counterfeiting and piracy online.

In addition, the Parliament's decision today states that MEPs will go to the Court of Justice if the EU does not reject ACTA rules, including cutting off users from the Internet "gradually" if caught stealing content.

Link

[JoeP]

As usual the SA govt is following the worst leads ... but with legislation that seems to be as potholed as the roads. We already have ISPs being required to hunt down and kill customers alleged to have downloaded copyright material over their fixed-line internet links; now they have a piece of legislation called RICA that means you require ID (photo ID and proof of physical address) to buy any cellphone SIM card, such as a prepaid starter pack. So that they can trace you when you arrange terrorist attacks using said SIM card, apparently. In reality, the music/TV/movie "rights" holders will be the ones using the law.

You can buy these starter packs for 50 cents (about 7c US, 5c Euro, 5p British). But it's as difficult to get one as to open a bank account (for which the legislation is called FICA - as in "Sorry I'm a bit grumpy, I got FICA'd this morning"). Except if you go to one of the supermarket/clothing chains that sell them on behalf of the mobile networks ... where the staff don't really care.

How the law is supposed to apply to the millions without a formal address, or teenagers, I don't know. How it's going to be applied to the masses of tourists we're supposed to get for the soccer world cup I don't know.