Caught in the ACTA: Protests sweep Europe (PHOTOS)
Published: 09 June, 2012, 23:20
Reuters / Laurent Dubrule
TAGS: Conflict, Protest, Politics, Europe, Human rights, Law, Internet, Opposition
Thousands of Europeans rallied as one against the controversial Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, which they believe is a draconian attack on online privacy.
In Brussels, hundreds turned up at the city center with banners and slogans denouncing the bill, drawing parallels between the treaty and George Orwell’s seminal novel 1984; a reference to the increased internet surveillance ACTA would allow.
German protesters got in on the act too, wearing the Guy Fawkes masks associated with the Anonymous and Occupy movements, brandishing banners saying "don’t give ACTA a chance".
More protests are expected on Saturday in the United States, with hundreds in New York and Kansas City using social networks to confirm their attendance at the rallies.
ACTA, which has been in the works since 2007, is a multinational treaty for the purpose of establishing international standards for intellectual property rights enforcement. It aims to establish a global legal framework for targeting counterfeit goods, generic medicines and copyright infringement on the Internet, and would create a new governing body outside existing forums like the World Trade Organization or the United Nations.
Its supporters claim the treaty is the only way to respond to “the increase in global trade of counterfeit goods and pirated copyright protected works.” But opponents consider it an act of war, clamping down on freedom of expression and privacy.
The future of ACTA is already in question, not only because of continuous global protests, but because of dwindling government support as well. Earlier this year, the treaty lost three crucial European Parliament committee votes – which many say may reflects on how the EU Parliament will vote on the treaty in July.
The European Union suspended efforts to ratify the treaty in February amid a storm of protest from human rights activists. Thousands demonstrated across the EU against ACTA and the amount of power it would give to big corporations.
Protesters take part in a demonstration against ACTA in Brussels June 9, 2012(REUTERS/Laurent Dubrule)
Protesters wearing Guy Fawkes masks, made popular by the graphic novel "V for Vendetta", take part in a demonstration against ACTA in Brussels June 9, 2012 (Reuters / Laurent Dubrule)
A protester covers her faces with a Guy Fawkes mask while demonstrating against the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) in Brussels, June 9, 2012 (Reuters / Laurent Dubrule)
A demonstrator holds a placard during a rally protesting against the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) in Berlin, June 9, 2012 (Reuters / Thomas Peter)
Demonstrators, wearing Guy Fawkes masks, participate in a rally protesting against the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) in Berlin, June 9, 2012 (Reuters / Thomas Peter)
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Freedom People!!! Come on!!
I like this video about SOPA PIPA :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0yQvKdNlbk
Famous Recordings: The Ronettes: "Be My Baby" Got paid: 500 dollars,
never got another dime, Van Morrison: "Brown Eyed Girl" Got paid: Nothing
LIttle Richard: Forget it, Buddy Holly: Ripped off too, NY Dolls, Elliot
Murphy, first LP, 1 time payment Elliot got 10,000 dollars for the whole band, never another dime. I could go on and on, but the record companies cry
"We Need Money or we can't pay the "Artists", yeah that's why when
Michael Jackson died Sony claimed Michael owed them 200 Million oh
for "Studio Time". The Beatles have sued EMI at least 5 times.
But these guys want to keep charging royalties on this stuff forever on
the Internet, 1 dollar a song, in MP3 format.
What this is about is they want to turn the Internet into like Cable TV
where you get charged for everything. They can't stand something "For
the People" everything has to be a money maker for them. Like charging
you for the air you breathe, which you already pay for, ever hear of
the EPA? (look at the tax they get to put on electric bills).
You know a lot of early movies, like say James Cagney, they had those
guys on Salary, paid by the week. The movie industry, they moved to
Hollywood so they wouldn't have to pay Thomas Edison the royalties
on his invention they used, LOL Yeah, do Jews run Hollywood?
So really they want the Internet to be owned by entertainment
companies that charge you for the entertainment, as if that's all the Internet
is for (people with little brains). AND they want the ISP's to monitor
everything for them (by law) so they don't miss a dime in royalties. This
is too full pockets that have stolen too much already from "Artists", and
really enjoy "Milking" even more money out of dead "Artists". LOL
The euro zone into more crises problems, the coming years will be complicated, I cant understand why european leaders not stopping the wars in arab countries, these countries should be very important to europe, these surrounding europe, they can share economy,I think euro zone had many mistakes, at least Mediterranean Zone could be an important part for Euro-Zone
Instead of Mediterranean-Arab people learn good things from Europeans, I see Spanish people learnt how to burn tyres etc.
Could we that in all European contries soon?
I beleive many European countries will become poor soon, unemplyment will increase, but hope they will not become like third world countries.