If anybody wants to have a look the ACTA document itself instead of relying on what others are saying about it, it may be found here in all EU languages including Maltese:
http://register.consilium.europa.eu/servlet/driver?page=Result&lang=EN&typ=Advanced&cmsid=639&ff_COTE_DOCUMENT=12196/11&ff_COTE_DOSSIER_INST=&ff_TITRE=&ff_FT_TEXT=&ff_SOUS_COTE_MATIERE=&dd_DATE_DOCUMENT=&document_date_single_comparator=&document_date_single_date=&document_date_from_date=&document_date_to_date=&dd_DATE_REUNION=&meeting_date_single_comparator=&meeting_date_single_date=&meeting_date_from_date=&meeting_date_to_date=&fc=ALLLANG&srm=25&md=100&ssf=DATE_DOCUMENT+DESC Effie ps I agree with the press release below. I would come on Saturday but I am on duty. e On Tue, 2012-02-07 at 19:33 +0100, Keith Vassallo wrote: > Well written. > > No objections from my end! > > K > > On 07 Feb 2012, at 11:48, Ramon Casha wrote: > > > The Malta Anti-ACTA Group has prepared a press release which should be sent > > to the press TODAY, and are asking whether MLUG would like to be included > > in this PR. > > > > This has not gone out to press yet, but it has to go out soon. Are there > > any objections? If everyone is ok with this I'll tell them to go ahead. > > > > --- > > > > The Malta Anti-Acta Group (MAAG) would like to inform the general public of > > its reasons for opposing > > the Acta Treaty. It would also like to announce a public protest to be held > > on Saturday 11 February at > > 11am, City Gate Valletta. Various organisations, including Moviment > > Graffitti, Alternattiva Demokratika > > Zghazagh, Front Kontra c-Censura, Forum Zghazagh Laburisti, Kunsill > > Studenti Junior College, Malta > > Alliance for Freedom, ir-Realtá Collective, MOVE Progressive Students and > > Pulse, support and will be > > attending the demonstration. > > > > The Acta Treaty has been negotiated behind closed doors without engaging > > public debate and has > > suffered from numerous problems of transparency. This treaty establishes a > > committee which operates > > outside the normal framework of the World Trade Organisation and which has > > powers to amend the > > treaty itself in a way which potentially circumvents the normal democratic > > process. > > > > The MAAG is worried that this treaty would result in disproportionate > > actions against intellectual > > property rights infringement becoming the norm. The ambiguous nature of the > > treaty also makes the > > measures introduced for protecting intellectual property rights liable to > > abuse. > > > > In particular, the implementation of these measures can have a detrimental > > effect on the rights to > > privacy of individuals, forcing ISPs to reveal personal information about > > alleged infringers. The treaty > > also paves the way for courts to consider ordering compensation for > > infringements consisting of > > amounts based on questionable criteria defined arbitrarily by rights > > holders themselves. > > > > The ambiguous language used in ACTA also puts generic medicine at the risk > > of being targeted unjustly > > as a counterfeit product, stopping the distribution of essential medicines > > to those who require them > > most. This is further aggravated by the border control provisions in the > > treaty, which would also allow > > for the interruption of the transit of these medicines between two > > non-signatory countries whenever > > they pass through a signatory country. > > > > For these reasons MAAG is urging the public to attend the protest on > > Saturday to express its concern > > regarding a treaty which poses a threat to democratic processes, right to > > privacy, Freedom of Expression > > and medicinal distribution. > > > > Reuben Zammit > > > > Tel: 79091379 > > _______________________________________________ > > MLUG-list mailing list > > [email protected] > > http://linux.org.mt/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mlug-list > > _______________________________________________ > MLUG-list mailing list > [email protected] > http://linux.org.mt/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mlug-list _______________________________________________ MLUG-list mailing list [email protected] http://linux.org.mt/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mlug-list
