News

U.S. Report Says ACTA Deal Gaining Steam

While Industry Minister Jim Prentice and Canadian officials continue to remain mum about the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, a report out of the U.S. suggests that there is considerable reason for public concern.  Congress Daily (sub req) quotes a high-level official from the USTR as indicating that the talks are gaining steam, with a binding international agreement likely by the end of the year.  The USTR official continued by noting that the treaty will focus on international cooperation, enforcement practices, and a legal framework.  The article confirms that the USTR comments are consistent with the document leaked last week that has led to front page headlines in Canada.

This suggests that the two-part Prentice plan is rapidly coming together – a Canadian DMCA could be introduced next week, while by the end of the year Canada may have agreed to an international treaty that mandates new levels of surveillance for ISPs and border guards.  The effect of these reforms will dramatically reshape Canadian law with Prentice and Prime Minister Stephen Harper rolling out the red carpet for President George Bush's demands and leaving Canadians wondering how their consumer, property, and privacy rights suddenly disappeared.

21 Comments

  1. What can we do to prevent Canada from signing this trade agreement?

  2. Dwight Williams says:

    My fear?
    If there’s anything that can be done short of a successful Supreme Court challenge, I’d love to know what it is.

  3. Anonymous says:

    And we call our country a democracy — how is it not an Oligarchy? What happened to a government by the people for the people? Why is it that the interests of the very small majority of ultra wealthy corporations trumps that of the majority of citizens? Do we no longer have any say in the way our country is governed? :,(

  4. Oligarchies
    It’s not an oligarchy, well it is, but I prefer the word plutocracy.

    And they are trying to close up the channels of communication so they can be controlled, as they were in my early life. Culture was bad then.

    Will I be voting NDP in the future? I can’t believe that I’m really thinking about it but it looks like a viable option. Certainly not for the conservatives anymore.

  5. If I may be frank…. God this is SO fucking stupid. HOW IN HELL CAN WE, AS CANADIANS, ACCEPT THIS?
    Looks like I am e-mailing some MP’s

  6. I can honestly say that I saw this coming when a Conservative Government was elected to power. Being from Ontario I know the dangers from the Conservative Provincial party. What irks me even more is that it is a MINORITY Government, and the opposition parties have not done a damn thing to stop these idiots, caving to American demands. This government better fall soon…

  7. KICK DA BEAVER TIME says:

    Class Action Lawsuit agaisnt BELL Canada
    Class Action Lawsuit against BELL Canada launched on behalf a all users in Quebec that were or are BELL contract users back to October of 2007.

    [ link ] … e-bell.php

    Article is in french:Translation Below

    Internet: request a class action against Bell

    Both Beaver Bell, already sonnés by several bad news, received this afternoon another blow in the teeth.

    A request for class action was filed at 15:30 against Bell Canada by the Union of consumers and Myrna Raphael, a client dissatisfied Internet service offered by the firm’s telecommunications Montreal.

    The petition asks the court to authorize a class action on behalf of all Quebec residents who had from 28 October 2007 a contract for residential Internet service with Bell.

    Note it would be nice to see a similar action in Ontario and right across Canada. Perhaps a bunch a lawsuits like these would let the teachers union re-think there purchase of bell canada as they are going to inherit a ton a legal actions. This is what you will get if you ISP’s do not give us net neutrality. Enjoy.

  8. Link for above says:

    Link for above
    [ link ]

  9. Lets get one class action per says:

    Class action per province?
    Well we can get donations and start our own legal fight.
    OLD saying goes: “those that hide behind the law get the law”

    If we can get one suit per province going, it might force BELL into a more net neutral stance and send a message that we can do same thing when it comes to the DMCA style nazi facist laws they want to bring.

  10. revolting turn of events
    what stipulations are there in the canadian charter about when a government fails to represent the voices of the people it’s supposed to represent?

    i ask since if this is gaining steam, if our voices are ignored, then the government has failed us. to which i would wonder when it would be prudent to consider drastic action.

  11. Canadians got the gov’t they deserve?
    Once again, Canadians express shock and surprise that the neo-con right-wing extremist reform/alliance party that executed a coup on the weakling conservative party and who dozing Canadians subsequently allowed to snatch the reigns of federal power into their greasy little fingers is not operating in the peoples’ interests, but is instead carrying out directions from Washington and global big business. Quel surprise! Anyone who did a little homework before the last election and could see that the reform/alliance/neo-conservative party was just a branch operation of the neo-con cabal that has turned the US into the fine mess that it is today. Did any of those of you that voted for this garbage actually do any research, or did you all just swallow their bs in the run-up to the last election? Next time do your homework and vote with your brains, not by emotions.

  12. @Burt
    Sadly, I’m sure you’re screaming at the wrong place. Your comment needs to be made somewhere that will reach those you are blaming. Like I don’t know… Frontpage of all canadians newspaper? =p

  13. paradoxymoron says:

    Refund
    If this goes through I think we need to start talking about a refund for all the extra money I’ve paid on writeable and rewriteable media, including my mp3 player, to SOCAN.

  14. Jennifer Jilks says:

    The House interview
    Nicely done interview on CBC.

  15. hrm
    refund to socan is im my opinion justified , you are paying more or less for hte right to download.
    Be happy for that.
    It is a cheap affordable way for all.

    READ what the suit is about has nohting to do with what we pay for the right to download, if you do not wish to pay it you can apply to them not too, however i am sure then a reason request to inspect your drives at some time would be ok with you and any copyrighted material found there you do not own you would consent to be guilty on its finding.

    No,
    didn\’t think so.

  16. I’ve written
    I’ve written to my local MP, Jim Prentice and Stephen Harper. I have no idea what else to do.

  17. Canadian Policy
    Does anyone know what happened to the Canadian Policy Wiki?

    [ link ]

    Wayne

  18. Why, oh Why?
    If this crap gets passed, I’m moving to Europe.

  19. Anonymous says:

    Phil
    Unfortunatly theres no public representation anymore because theres no big money in it, while the big business lobby and representation seems to be a lucrative industry. The Canadian DMCA is an example of what money, and corporate might can achieve. We are in age where we should be afraid of corporations because they are the government…and its not democratic.

  20. why cant some ppl let rest of the ppl live happily? this is rubbish.. they wanna make internet like some sort of zoo; you cant feed the animal, you cant walk there, you can’t do this and that and blah blah..

    there is something called “privacy”.. let ppl live with it..

  21. what is this? is there less stress in life?? i hope this ACTA thingy never comes true..