SOPA & C-30 in North America


Xaeo

Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2012
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80
Age
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Canada
Hey, so what does everybody here think about the SOPA and other similar bills trying to be passed in North America?


I was enraged when America first started the debate on it, and now that Canada is trying to pass it's own versions (C-30, ACTA, C-11) I feel as if our government isn't listening to the people. I'm curious to know what an open source community thinks that these changes will mean.


So, what are your thoughts on policing the internet?


Side Note:


http://www.takethele...t-to-change.jpg


And a lighter side:


http://www.smbc-comi...s&id=2508#comic
 
This topic has cropped up in several discussions already. For reference: 1, 2, 3


I see these bills doing more harm than good. It is already possible to take legal action against copyright infringement and int he particular case of ACTA, the uncertainty of the conditions and interpretation of treaty is a matter of concern.


Per prior European treaties, whenever the interpretation of treaties is unclear, the documents used during the negotiation phase are to be referred to determine what the proper interpretation ought to be. In the case of ACTA, these documents are secret and unavailable to the public and parliament.


Recently, the Dutch parliament requested our minister to produce these documents for discussion but he declined in a letter because the negotiation partners have agreed to keep those documents secret unless all parties involved agree otherwise. In other words, it is impossible to verify what interpretation should be given to the text contained in the ACTA treaty. In my opinion, this alone is sufficient reason to reject it.


For the time being it is on hold, as the European parliament has decided to suspend ratification of the treaty until the European Court has made an analysis of it. However, I would like to see them pushing a counter law instead, where they explicitly protect certain rights which are currently being threatened by SOPA/ACTA/PIPA, etc....
 
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This topic has cropped up in several discussions already. For reference: 1, 2, 3


I see these bills doing more harm than good. It is already possible to take legal action against copyright infringement and int he particular case of ACTA, the uncertainty of the conditions and interpretation of treaty is a matter of concern.


Per prior European treaties, whenever the interpretation of treaties is unclear, the documents used during the negotiation phase are to be referred to determine what the proper interpretation ought to be. In the case of ACTA, these documents are secret and unavailable to the public and parliament.


Recently, the Dutch parliament requested our minister to produce these documents for discussion but he declined in a letter because the negotiation partners have agreed to keep those documents secret unless all parties involved agree otherwise. In other words, it is impossible to verify what interpretation should be given to the text contained in the ACTA treaty. In my opinion, this alone is sufficient reason to reject it.


For the time being it is on hold, as the European parliament has decided to suspend ratification of the treaty until the European Court has made an analysis of it. However, I would like to see them pushing a counter law instead, where they explicitly protect certain rights which are currently being threatened by SOPA/ACTA/PIPA, etc....
Thanks for those references, I shall be browse through them tonight. =)


From your post it sounds like the same thing is happening over in Europe, please forgive my ignorance but I don't pay much attention to the media reports over here (even up in Canada they are fairly biased). Are they trying to pass similar laws there too?
 
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Are they trying to pass similar laws there too?
Yes. ACTA is an international treaty covering the North American continent as well as Europe, Australia and Japan and some others.


I believe there was another European equivalent of these laws, but I don't remember its name.
 
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