#StopACTA

Hi there,

Australia, without us knowing it, signed an international treaty that will destroy an open internet around the world. Now, the European Parliament is our last hope to stop it. Whilst it is too late to do anything here, and while we may not be able to protest in Europe, we can help by lending weight to the fight.

No matter where you live, tell them to vote NO on ACTA! I signed the Access petition, and I think you should too.

https://www.accessnow.org/page/s/just-say-no-to-acta

The European Parliament still has to approve ACTA for it to go into effect in the US, Australia and around the world. If they vote NO, then ACTA will be effectively dismantled — even in countries that have already signed it. That’s right. Even though the US, Australia and other countries have already signed ACTA, the treaty will be sent back to the drawing board if the European Parliament does not approve it.

The online community recently came together to stop two American bills which threaten the openness off the internet, PIPA and SOPA. Now is our moment to send ACTA into the dustbin of history. Get all your friends and family to sign the petition calling on the European Parliament to vote NO on ACTA. You can do this via:

  1. Going to this page to make it easy to share: https://www.accessnow.org/page/share/just-say-no-to-acta
  2. Tweet this or post it on Facebook: Don’t like #SOPA & #PIPA? Then you’re gonna hate #ACTA. Sign&Share the @accessnow petition http://bit.ly/pMQ5DQ #StopACTA #opennet

They need hundreds of thousands of signatures in order to have the European Parliament hear the petition. 

ACTA affects not only an open internet, but threatens access to medicine and will stifle innovation around the world. That’s why we need a global movement. Tell the EU to vote NO on ACTA, and pass this along to friends telling them to do the same.

ACTA = GLOBAL SOPA/PIPA

How much do you trust your Internet Service Provider? What if they were monitoring your every move, turning over your personal information, or reporting your activity to the authorities? This isn’t some hypothetical, nightmare scenario. It’s the reality we are all facing with a new international accord that is poised to fundamentally destroy the openness of the internet, the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA).

Disguised as a trade agreement and negotiated in secret, ACTA poses a threat to free speech online by forcing websites and ISPs to watch and track what we do online in the name of copyright protection. While protecting copyright is a legitimate goal, ACTA takes a fire hose to a match in protecting intellectual property, while blatantly disregarding our rights in the process.

Already, eight countries have signed the agreement and others are lining up. ACTA is making its way to the European Parliament for a final consent vote. Without EU approval, other countries will be forced back to the negotiating table. Sign the petition here to demand Parliament to vote “No” on ACTA:

https://www.accessnow.org/page/s/just-say-no-to-acta

So what makes ACTA so alarming? It demands companies to spy on us, criminalizes people for trivial offences (like downloading songs), and is so vaguely worded that it could allow governments to implement dangerous copyright-enforcement regimes, such as the French “three-strike” law, which cuts off a user’s Internet access.

ACTA, which is not aligned with international legal standards, has long been opposed by leading experts, civil society, and lawmaking bodies in many countries like Brazil and Mexico. Yet, portions of ACTA continue to be copy and pasted into other trade agreements and national laws, putting user rights dangerously at risk. Now, with our collective voice, we can sway the European Parliament to shoot ACTA down!

https://www.accessnow.org/page/s/just-say-no-to-acta

Users of sites like YouTube, Wikipedia, and Facebook are at risk of being monitored aggressively and be placed in danger since mere allegations of copyright infringement could lead to users being cut off from the Internet. We must stand strong and reject agreements, which undermine democracy and the rule of law, and trample on our fundamental rights! Say “No” to ACTA by signing here:

https://www.accessnow.org/page/s/just-say-no-to-acta

With determination, The Access Team

P.S. Access, in conjunction European Digital Rights, and the Trans-Atlantic Consumer Dialogue, has put together an overview outlining the human rights, trade, innovation, democracy, and legal implications of ACTA. Read it here: https://www.accessnow.org/acta-overview

Sources:

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/10/01/uk-japan-trade-counterfeiting-idUKTRE79018620111001 http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2011/10/united-states-signs-acta/http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20101014/01402311422/more-countries-react-to-acta-brazil-says-acta-is-illegitimate.shtml http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/241061/legal_expert_says_ anticounterfeit_deal_should_be_scrapped.html http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2115125/acta-violates-fundamental-human-rights http://www.edmontonjournal.com/business/Canada+signs+anti+piracy+agreement/5492236/story.html?cid=megadrop_story