Ars Technica features an article drawn from an interview I conducted with Tim Lee about how ACTA is part of a global effort to increase copyright enforcement on an international scale.
Post Tagged with: "acta"
Tens of Thousands Protest Against ACTA in Europe On the Weekend
Tens of thousands took to the streets over the weekend to protest against ACTA. Notable video and photos include Sofia, Bulgaria, Dresden, Germany, and Dusseldorf, Germany.
Can You Hear Us Now?
One of my posts this week focused on concerns that Industry Minister Christian Paradis has said he cannot speculate on how Bill C-11’s digital lock rules will be enforced. The post identifies numerous examples of how the rules could harm creators, students, researchers, consumers, and even the visually impaired (further background information on Bill C-11 here and here). Yet these concerns are not new and have been raised for several years. Indeed, it is instructive to see how the public concern over the digital lock rules and now possible inclusion of SOPA-style amendments has mushroomed over the years.
Latvia Freezes ACTA Ratification, Germany Won’t Sign For Now
Latvia has become the latest European country to freeze ratification of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement and Germany has said it will await the European Parliament vote before deciding whether to sign the agreement. The moves comes as the mainstream media takes increasing notice of the ACTA protests (coverage from the […]
Will Canada – China Changes Include a Shift on Intellectual Property?
While China-based piracy is unquestionable a concern, Canada has too often used the issue to curry favour with the U.S. at the expense of developing the China relationship. In recent years, our support for the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (which deliberately excluded China) and now the Trans Pacific Partnership (which also excludes China) does little to help relations. China could be a strategic ally on global IP issues as both countries face significant external pressure for reform. While compliance with international rules should be the starting point for any dialogue, focusing on the flexibility that exists at international law to address domestic concerns is in both our interests.
The biggest Canadian blunder was the decision to join a U.S. complaint against China at the World Trade Organization in 2007 alleging that China’s domestic laws, border measures, and criminal penalties for intellectual property violations did not comply with its international treaty obligations. The case was a big loss. China was required to amend parts of its copyright law but on the big issues – border measures and IP enforcement – almost all of the contested laws were upheld as valid.
More interesting are the background documents that demonstrate that the Canadian government was unable to muster credible evidence of harm among Canadian companies.