ACTA La Vista Baby: Internet Censorship Treaty Overwhelmingly Defeated

EU Parliament throws out legislation after months of protests

Steve Watson
Infowars.com
July 4, 2012


The global Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), arguably the most draconian internet control legislation penned thus far, has been overwhelmingly rejected by European lawmakers following months of protests and activism undertaken by thousands across the continent.

In January of this year, twenty-two of the 27 EU states joined other countries, including the United States and Japan, in signing on to ACTA. However, it has yet to be ratified anywhere and strong protests in Europe have caused other countries, such as Australia to delay consideration of the treaty.

In the past few months, the legislation has been dealt blow after blow with no less than five powerful EU committees, as well as member states, officially rejecting the treaty.

This morning, the European Parliament voted 478 against, 39 in favour, with 165 abstentions, effectively killing the legislation in its current form and ensuring for the first time that an international trade agreement cannot be ratified into law in the EU.

The EU Parliament released a statement pointing to the “unprecedented direct lobbying by thousands of EU citizens who called on it to reject ACTA, in street demonstrations, emails to MEPs and calls to their offices”. The statement also acknowledged a petition that had been signed by 2.8 million citizens urging them to reject the treaty.

Had it been ratified, ACTA would have allowed companies in China or any other country in the world to demand ISPs remove web content in the US and Europe with no legal oversight whatsoever.

Under the provisions of ACTA, copyright holders would be granted sweeping direct powers to demand ISPs remove material from the Internet on a whim. Whereas ISPs normally are only forced to remove content after a court order, all legal oversight would be abolished, a precedent that would apply globally, rendering the treaty worse in its potential scope for abuse than all other currently circulating internet control legislation, such as CISPA, SOPA or PIPA.

The groups pushing the treaty also want to empower copyright holders with the ability to demand that users who violate intellectual property rights (with no legal process) have their Internet connections terminated, a punishment that could only ever be properly enforced by the creation of an individual Internet ID card for every web user, a system that is already in the works.

“The same industry rightsholder groups that support the creation of ACTA have also called for mandatory network-level filtering by Internet Service Providers and for Internet Service Providers to terminate citizens’ Internet connection on repeat allegation of copyright infringement (the “Three Strikes” /Graduated Response) so there is reason to believe that ACTA will seek to increase intermediary liability and require these things of Internet Service Providers,” the Electronic Frontier Foundation has noted.

When he signed on to ACTA in October last year, President Obama completely bypassed the Senate, as he generally does these days.

The legislation is currently the subject of a White House petition demanding Senators be forced to ratify the treaty. The White House has circumvented the necessity to have the treaty confirmed by lawmakers by presenting it an as “executive agreement,” although legal scholars have highlighted the dubious nature of this characterization.

With the total rejection of the legislation by the European Parliament, it is now highly unlikely that ACTA will be further considered for ratification in the US.

ACTA’s downfall gathered pace in April, when a SECOND member of the European parliamnent who was appointed to oversee the treaty called for the legislation to be scrapped, just weeks after his predecessor quit the post in disgust.

MEP David Martin denounced ACTA, saying that “The intended benefits of this international agreement are far outweighed by the potential threats to civil liberties.”

“Given the vagueness of certain aspects of the text and the uncertainty over its interpretation, the European Parliament cannot guarantee adequate protection for citizens’ rights in the future under Acta.” Martin added.

Martin was appointed to the position of EU rapporteur for ACTA in February. In the role he was responsible for investigating the pending legislation and presenting it to Parliament.

Reiterating his previous sentiments, Martin today said “I am very pleased that Parliament has followed my recommendation to reject Acta.”

Martin took the position following the resignation of MEP Kader Arif, who concluded that the treaty was a monstrous disaster for privacy and human rights, and that the secretive nature in which it had been drafted by industry lobbyists and government hands was wholly corrupt.

Advising that the EU reject the treaty, Arif said, “I condemn the whole process which led to the signature of this agreement: no consultation of the civil society, lack of transparency since the beginning of negotiations, repeated delays of the signature of the text without any explanation given, reject of Parliament’s recommendations as given in several resolutions of our assembly.”

“Everyone knows the ACTA agreement is problematic, whether it is its impact on civil liberties, the way it makes Internet access providers liable (our emphasis), its consequences on generic drugs manufacturing, or how little protection it gives to our geographical indications,” he said.

“This agreement might have major consequences on citizens’ lives, and still, everything is being done to prevent the European Parliament from having its say in this matter. That is why today, as I release this report for which I was in charge, I want to send a strong signal and alert the public opinion about this unacceptable situation. I will not take part in this masquerade.” Arif concluded.

Today, anti-ACTA activists lauded the EU rejection of the treaty. Pirate Party leader Loz Kaye said: “The European Parliament vote is a triumph of democracy over special interests and shady back-room deals. This is a significant victory for digital rights, and it’s thanks to the tireless work of activists and grass roots organisations, including the Pirate Party world wide. Without this opposition, our representatives would have waved this agreement through. It is now clear that it is becoming increasingly politically poisonous to be ‘anti-internet’.”

Rest assured, however, the architects of this monolithic internet censorship bill will not take its defeat lying down. There can be no doubt that they will attempt to resurrect ACTA in a different form somewhere down the road.

As expert in Internet and E-commerce Law professor Michael Geist notes today, “ACTA supporters will not take today’s decision as the final verdict. In the coming weeks and months, we can expect new efforts to revive the agreement within Europe and to find alternative means to implement its provisions. That suggests the fight will continue, but for today, it is worth celebrating how the seemingly impossible – stopping a one-sided, secretly negotiated global IP agreement – became possible.”

There are also many many more battles to be fought to maintain internet freedom, in an ongoing struggle against the long running agenda to completely re-structure and centralize the internet under global governmental control.

—————————————————————-

Steve Watson is the London based writer and editor for Alex Jones’ Infowars.com, and Prisonplanet.com. He has a Masters Degree in International Relations from the School of Politics at The University of Nottingham in England.

Views: 82

Comment

You need to be a member of 12160 Social Network to add comments!

Join 12160 Social Network

Comment by Ragnarok on July 4, 2012 at 2:44pm

ACTA killed: MEPs destroy treaty in final vote

http://www.rt.com/news/acta-eu-parliament-vote-400/

Comment by Central Scrutinizer on July 4, 2012 at 11:31am

Great news for EU......Take note AmeriKa....

"Destroying the New World Order"

TOP CONTENT THIS WEEK

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE SITE!

mobile page

12160.info/m

12160 Administrators

 

Latest Activity

Burbia favorited tjdavis's blog post The Dems Love Their Demons
7 hours ago
John Miller commented on tjdavis's photo
Thumbnail

Comprehensive Coverage

"That car needs an exorcism, not an oil change."
10 hours ago
John Miller commented on tjdavis's blog post The Dems Love Their Demons
"If the Dems are dating demons, then that AI romance shoot was basically engagement photos."
10 hours ago
John Miller replied to cheeki kea's discussion Would-Be Trump Assassin Ryan Routh Gave Many Interviews with Mainstream Media
"Wouldn't be surprised if there's a whole lot more buried under the surface here."
10 hours ago
Less Prone favorited rlionhearted_3's photo
14 hours ago
Less Prone left a comment for John Miller
"Welcome John."
14 hours ago
Doc Vega posted a blog post

The Saga of Ape Canyon Revisited

 In the years that I’d written for the Plano Star Courier I got several invitations to go on…See More
14 hours ago
John Miller is now a member of 12160 Social Network
17 hours ago
Less Prone favorited tjdavis's photo
17 hours ago
tjdavis posted a photo
yesterday
Burbia posted a video

The lIIumlnatl Stallions: MethyIene Bluecifer & Mind-Control Horses [ FULL DOCUMENTARY ]

🐴🦄🐸 Get the NEW "lIIumlnatl Animal Coloring Book!" 🐴🦄🐸NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON - CLICK HERE: https://amzn.to/3SYgAkC🔑 Get MORE Access to the Secret Vid...
yesterday
Doc Vega commented on Doc Vega's blog post Memorial Weekend Getaway Horror Story
"Less Prone thanks for your support Buddy! "
yesterday
Doc Vega replied to cheeki kea's discussion Would-Be Trump Assassin Ryan Routh Gave Many Interviews with Mainstream Media
"cheeki kea, I really appreciate the reporting of Sky News. I think they've done a great…"
yesterday
Doc Vega posted a blog post

When

 Sad blue eyed poet rehearses his craftJust took a salvo in the compartment aftHis chances of…See More
yesterday
cheeki kea replied to cheeki kea's discussion Would-Be Trump Assassin Ryan Routh Gave Many Interviews with Mainstream Media
"You're damn right there Doc V. but we may never know exactly where all the funding came from…"
yesterday
cheeki kea commented on tjdavis's photo
Thumbnail

Me-Again

"Oh Look a new version of Megan, can't say the old version looked to flash either. Seems like…"
Friday
Doc Vega replied to cheeki kea's discussion Would-Be Trump Assassin Ryan Routh Gave Many Interviews with Mainstream Media
"This asshole had an incredible number of overseas connections and incoming money from unnamed…"
Wednesday
rlionhearted_3 posted photos
Wednesday
cheeki kea replied to cheeki kea's discussion Tartaria
"It's been interesting reading the comments from the Hungarian Tartaria fans on social media…"
Tuesday
Burbia's blog post was featured

James Comey appears to call for the assassination of President Trump

I'm sure these are the kind of shells Comey is implying here. …See More
Tuesday

© 2025   Created by truth.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service

content and site copyright 12160.info 2007-2019 - all rights reserved. unless otherwise noted