Michael Geist sez,
The 7th round of ACTA [ed: The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, a secret and punishing Internet treaty under negotiation in Guadalajara] negotiations will conclude around lunch time today in Mexico. If past meetings are any indication, a few hours later the participating countries will issue a bland statement thanking the host Mexican government, discussing the progress on civil enforcement, border measures, and the Internet as well as noting the transparency discussions and the continued desire to address the issue. The release will then conclude by looking forward to the next meeting in Wellington, New Zealand in April.
As this five part series demonstrates, however, there are ongoing concerns with both the process and substance of ACTA. From a process perspective, the negotiations remain far more secretive than other international agreements. From a substantive viewpoint, ACTA could result in dramatic reforms in many participating countries. Countering the momentum behind ACTA will require many to speak out.
This admittedly feels like a daunting task given the powerful interests that are committed to seeing ACTA through. That said, many have begun to speak out. This last post starts with links to a sampling of the politicians and groups that have already made ACTA one of their issues and then identifies the other avenues to allow every individual concerned with ACTA to speak out.
ACTA Guide, Part Five: Speaking Out
(Thanks, Michael!)
- ACTA: the leaked secret memos Boing Boing
- Interactive timeline of secret copyright treaty Boing Boing
- Follow the secret copyright treaty negotiations in Mexico Boing Boing
- Secret copyright treaty debated in DC: must-see video Boing Boing
- EU memo on secret copyright treaty confirms US desire for global …
