Number of posts : 1827 Age : 71 Location : UK Humor : yes lots Registration date : 2010-12-18
Subject: Re: Help STOP SOPA Now!! This Video that Must Be SHARED! Mon Dec 26, 2011 3:16 am
he sure does have it on the button
WineHippie Contributor
Number of posts : 4229 Age : 71 Location : being Humor : my sides hurt ... Registration date : 2009-01-23
Subject: Re: Help STOP SOPA Now!! This Video that Must Be SHARED! Mon Dec 26, 2011 10:18 am
great vid/info mic! how do these corporates get away with it ? * shakin head *
Somamech Senior Member
Number of posts : 2954 Registration date : 2009-07-11
Subject: Re: Help STOP SOPA Now!! This Video that Must Be SHARED! Tue Dec 27, 2011 8:16 am
Thanks Mic!
This is BIG, considering the lobbyist's steal ideas.
Sifu Terry Dunn has been paying out of his own haystack to fight them in regards to stealing ideas
Search kungfu panda lawsuit ;)
pricks
sky otter Senior Member
Number of posts : 4389 Registration date : 2009-02-01
Subject: Re: Help STOP SOPA Now!! This Video that Must Be SHARED! Sat Jan 14, 2012 12:46 pm
believe it or don't category... did they get this going to just look good or was it really in the works???????
White House Will Not Support SOPA, PIPA
Saturday marked a major victory for opponents of proposed anti-piracy legislation Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and PROTECT IP Act (PIPA), which would target foreign-based websites violating U.S. copyrights.
House of Representatives bill SOPA and its Senate counterpart PIPA are designed to punish websites that make available, for example, free movies and music without the permission of the U.S. rights holders. Opponents of the bills, however, worry that the proposed laws would grant the Department of Justice too much regulatory power. Google Chairman Eric Schmidt has called the measures "draconian." Other Internet giants who oppose the bill include Facebook, eBay, Mozilla, Twitter, and Huffington Post parent company AOL.
The White House on Saturday officially responded to two online petitions, "Stop the E-PARASITE Act" and "Veto the SOPA bill and any other future bills that threaten to diminish the free flow of information," urging the President to reject SOPA and PIPA.
The statement was drawn up by Victoria Espinel, Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator at Office of Management and Budget, Aneesh Chopra, U.S. Chief Technology Officer, and Howard Schmidt, Special Assistant to the President and Cybersecurity Coordinator for National Security Staff. They made clear that the White House will not support legislation that disrupts the open standards of the Internet.
"While we believe that online piracy by foreign websites is a serious problem that requires a serious legislative response, we will not support legislation that reduces freedom of expression, increases cybersecurity risk, or undermines the dynamic, innovative global Internet," the statement read in part.
The White House statement went on to say, however, that the Obama Administration believes "online piracy is a real problem that harms the American economy" and that 2012 should see the passage of narrower legislation that targets the source of foreign copyright infringement.
The letter also highlighted the following four points:
Stop HR 3261 (SOPA) and S 968 (PIPA) Internet Blacklist Bills
Congress needs to hear from you, or these dangerous bills will pass - they have tremendous lobbying dollars behind them, from large corporations reportedly hoping to prop up outdated, anti-consumer business models at the expense of the very fabric of the Internet -- recklessly unleashing a tsunami of take-down notices and litigation, and a Pandora's jar of "chilling effects" and other unintended (or perhaps intended?) consequences.
Monster Cable considers craigslist a "rogue site" for takedown under PIPA - they want to prevent YOU from selling your unwanted cables so they can increase sales! Many other "rights holders" want to do the same. Boycott anyone? There is an app for that.
SOPA/PIPA supporters want to block you from reaching ANY site they think is hurting their profits -- without due process or review in any court -- by (can you believe this?) interrupting Internet traffic via DNS at ISPs and by censoring search engine results. Many lawmakers are prepared to give them that right.
Congress is starting to backpedal on this anti-American nonsense, but SOPA/PIPA cannot be fixed -- they must be killed.
Sen Darrell Issa (R-CA) and Rep Ron Wyden (D-OR) are championing an alternative to SOPA/PIPA called Online Protection and Enforcement of Digital Trade Act (OPEN) that focuses on cutting off payments to foreign sites dedicated to piracy, and refrains from disrupting basic Internet protocols, or threatening mainstream US sites like craigslist.
Tim O'Reilly, a publisher subject to piracy, asks whether piracy is even a problem, and whether there is a need for any of these bills.
Please let your Members of Congress know you OPPOSE H.R. 3261 "Stop Online Piracy Act" (SOPA) and S. 968 "Protect IP Act" (PIPA):
Reverse Robocall ALL pro-SOPA MOC + Key Lobbyists simultaneously! (More info on Ars Technica) Phone your Member of Congress the old fashioned way (House) (Senate) Contact Senators who are refusing to meet with constituents about SOPA/PIPA. EFF Congressional Emailer - Oppose Internet Blacklisting (SOPA & PIPA) ECA Congressional Emailer - Don't Censor Our Internet! OpenCongress Congressional Emailer - Oppose SOPA Generic Congressional Emailer (You'll need your Zip+4)
Learn more about SOPA, Protect IP (PIPA), and Internet Blacklisting:
Growing Chorus of Opposition to SOPA Open Letter against SOPA from 83 Prominent Internet Engineers Why SOPA and Protect IP (PIPA) are Bad, Bad Ideas (Techdirt) Piracy not a problem, SOPA/PIPA unnecessary (Tim O'Reilly on GigaOM) SOPA News (Google News) SOPA Wikipedia entry SOPA FAQ (CNET) Internet Giants Consider Blackout Against SOPA!
Where does your Member of Congress stand on SOPA? (Project SOPA Opera)
Opponents of SOPA: Google, Yahoo, Wikipedia, craigslist, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, eBay, AOL, Mozilla, Reddit, Tumblr, Etsy, Zynga, EFF, ACLU, Human Rights Watch, Darrell Issa (R-CA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Ron Paul (R-TX)
Supporters of SOPA: RIAA, MPAA, News Corporation, VISA, Mastercard, Pfizer, Comcast, Time Warner, ABC, Nike, Walmart, Dow Chemical, Tiffany, Chanel, Rolex, Monster Cable, Teamsters, Lamar Smith (R-TX), John Conyers (D-MI)
Northern Boy Senior Member
Number of posts : 1236 Age : 64 Location : Canada Registration date : 2009-01-26
Subject: Re: Help STOP SOPA Now!! This Video that Must Be SHARED! Sat Jan 14, 2012 10:07 pm
if you are using Firefox you can down load an add on called DeSopa and install it when turned on it searchs for any website you have saved by its IP address instead of its domain name
Reunite Moderator
Number of posts : 4993 Age : 47 Location : Here Humor : Dry and Wet Registration date : 2009-01-23
Subject: Re: Help STOP SOPA Now!! This Video that Must Be SHARED! Mon Jan 16, 2012 3:54 pm
I think this follows up on otter's post
Controversial online piracy bill shelved until 'consensus' is found By Brendan Sasso
House Oversight Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) said early Saturday morning that Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) promised him the House will not vote on the controversial Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) unless there is consensus on the bill.
"While I remain concerned about Senate action on the Protect IP Act, I am confident that flawed legislation will not be taken up by this House," Issa said in a statement. "Majority Leader Cantor has assured me that we will continue to work to address outstanding concerns and work to build consensus prior to any anti-piracy legislation coming before the House for a vote."
Number of posts : 2954 Registration date : 2009-07-11
Subject: Re: Help STOP SOPA Now!! This Video that Must Be SHARED! Wed Jan 18, 2012 7:51 am
Warning HItler Meme
Reunite Moderator
Number of posts : 4993 Age : 47 Location : Here Humor : Dry and Wet Registration date : 2009-01-23
Subject: Re: Help STOP SOPA Now!! This Video that Must Be SHARED! Wed Jan 18, 2012 3:47 pm
It's black out day.
Wikipedia, google and reddit to name a few are all down for the day in protest of SOPA/PIPA (I can still use google?lol)
micjer Senior Member
Number of posts : 5325 Age : 63 Location : canada Registration date : 2009-01-23
Subject: Re: Help STOP SOPA Now!! This Video that Must Be SHARED! Wed Jan 18, 2012 4:03 pm
Somamech wrote:
Warning HItler Meme
Awesome, funny yet very true.
Reunite Moderator
Number of posts : 4993 Age : 47 Location : Here Humor : Dry and Wet Registration date : 2009-01-23
Subject: Re: Help STOP SOPA Now!! This Video that Must Be SHARED! Wed Jan 18, 2012 5:02 pm
Somamech wrote:
Warning HItler Meme
"Don't cry. Disney owns the rights to that emotion."
LMAO!
stal Senior Member
Number of posts : 1144 Age : 45 Location : under the southern cross Registration date : 2009-02-18
Subject: Re: Help STOP SOPA Now!! This Video that Must Be SHARED! Fri Jan 20, 2012 3:58 am
file-sharing site megauploader was officialy shut down earlier today.
Apparently its back up as a .bz, but not sure.
sky otter Senior Member
Number of posts : 4389 Registration date : 2009-02-01
Subject: Re: Help STOP SOPA Now!! This Video that Must Be SHARED! Fri Jan 20, 2012 7:43 pm
Megaupload founder's homes raided, $5M in luxury cars seized By msnbc.com staff and news services Police in New Zealand on Friday raided several homes and businesses linked to the founder of Megaupload.com, a giant file-sharing site shut down by U.S. authorities, and seized guns, millions of dollars, and nearly $5 million in luxury cars, officials said.
Police arrested founder Kim Dotcom and three Megaupload employees Thursday on U.S. accusations that they facilitated millions of illegal downloads of films, music and other content, costing copyright holders at least $500 million in lost revenue. Extradition proceedings against them could last a year or more.
David Rowland / EPA
(L-R) Bram van der Kolk, Finn Batato, Mathias Ortmann and German national Kim Schmitz, also known as Kim Dotcom, are remanded in custody at the District Court on charges in a US copyright infringement investigation in Auckland, New Zealand, 20 January 2012. With 150 million registered users, about 50 million hits daily and endorsements from music superstars, Megaupload.com was among the world's biggest file-sharing sites. According to a U.S. indictment, the site, which was shut down Thursday, earned Dotcom $42 million in 2010 alone.
Although the company is based in Hong Kong and Dotcom lives in New Zealand, some of the alleged pirated content was hosted on leased servers in Virginia, and that was gave U.S. prosecutors jurisdiction to act.
New Zealand police served 10 search warrants at several businesses and homes around the city of Auckland.
Police spokesman Grant Ogilvie said the seized cars include a Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe worth more than $400,000 as well as several Mercedes. Two short-barreled shotguns and a number of valuable artworks were also confiscated, he added.
Pictures posted on Flickr and technology news website Gizmodo showed the haul included a 2010 Maserati and a pink Cadillac. One Mercedes had the personalized license place "MAFIA,"while another had a plated that read "CEO."
A report by New Zealand news website stuff.co.nz said Detective Inspector Grant Wormald from the Organized and Financial Crime Agency NZ (OFCANZ) gave details of the extraordinary raid, which had been planned for several months.
"Police arrived in two marked police helicopters," said Wormald, according to the website. "Despite our staff clearly identifying themselves Mr. Dotcom retreated into the house and activated a number of electronic locking mechanisms. While police neutralized these locks he then further barricaded himself into a safe room within the house which officers had to cut their way into."
Once they gained entry into this room they found Dotcom near a firearm which had the appearance of a sawed-off shotgun, Wormald said.
"It was definitely not as simple as knocking at the front door," he added.
New Zealand's Fairfax Media reported that the four defendants stood together in an Auckland courtroom in the first step of the extradition proceedings. 'Nothing to hide' Dotcom's lawyer raised objections to a media request to take photographs and video, but then Dotcom spoke, saying he didn't mind photos or video "because we have nothing to hide." The judge granted the media access, and ruled that the four would remain in custody until a second hearing Monday.
Dotcom, Megaupload's former CEO and current chief innovation officer, is a resident of Hong Kong and New Zealand and a dual citizen of Finland and Germany who had his name legally changed. The 37-year-old was previously known as Kim Schmitz and Kim Tim Jim Vestor.
Two other German citizens and one Dutch citizen also were arrested and three other defendants — another German, a Slovakian and an Estonian — remain at large.
Megaupload has retained Washington, D.C. power attorney Bob Bennett in the case, according to a person inside the company. Bennett is best known for representing former President Bill Clinton during the Monica Lewinsky scandal. The person within Megaupload spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the company's plans.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation, which defends free speech and digital rights online, said in a statement that the arrests set "a terrifying precedent. If the United States can seize a Dutch citizen in New Zealand over a copyright claim, what is next?"
The indictment was unsealed one day after websites including Wikipedia and Wired shut down in protest of two U.S. proposals intended to make it easier for authorities to go after sites with pirated material, especially those with overseas headquarters and servers.
Before Megaupload was taken down, the company posted a statement saying allegations that it facilitated massive breaches of copyright laws were "grotesquely overblown."
"The fact is that the vast majority of Mega's Internet traffic is legitimate, and we are here to stay. If the content industry would like to take advantage of our popularity, we are happy to enter into a dialogue. We have some good ideas. Please get in touch," the statement said.
Several sister sites were also shut down, including one dedicated to sharing pornography files.
Retaliation News of the shutdown seemed to bring retaliation from hackers who claimed credit for attacking the Justice Department's and FBI websites. Federal officials confirmed the Justice Department site was down for hours Thursday evening, and that the disruption was being "treated as a malicious act."
A loose affiliation of hackers known as "Anonymous" claimed credit for the attacks. Also hacked was the site for the Motion Picture Association of America.
According to the indictment, Megaupload was estimated at one point to be the 13th most frequently visited website on the Internet. Current estimates by companies that monitor Web traffic place it in the top 100.
advertisementadvertisement Megaupload is considered a "cyberlocker," in which users can upload and transfer files that are too large to send by email. Such sites can have perfectly legitimate uses. But the Motion Picture Association of America, which has campaigned for a crackdown on piracy, estimated that the vast majority of content being shared on Megaupload was in violation of copyright laws.
The New Zealand mansion rented by co-operator of the file-sharing platform Megaupload, Kim Schmitz, also known as Kim Dotcom. The website allowed users to download some content for free, but made money by charging subscriptions to people who wanted access to faster download speeds or extra content. The website also sold advertising.
Megaupload was unique not only because of its massive size and the volume of downloaded content, but also because it had high-profile support from celebrities, musicians and other content producers who are most often the victims of copyright infringement and piracy. Before the website was taken down, it contained endorsements from Kim Kardashian, Alicia Keys and Kanye West, among others.
The company listed Swizz Beatz, a musician who married Keys in 2010, as its CEO. He was not named in the indictment and, via a representative, declined to comment.
The five-count indictment, which alleges copyright infringement as well as conspiracy to commit money laundering and racketeering, described a site designed specifically to reward users who uploaded pirated content for sharing, and turned a blind eye to requests from copyright holders to remove copyright-protected files.
The Justice Department said it was illegal for anyone to download pirated content, but their investigation focused on the leaders of the company, not end users who may have downloaded a few movies for personal viewing.
A lawyer who represented the company in a lawsuit last year declined to comment Thursday. Efforts by the Associated Press to reach an attorney representing Dotcom were unsuccessful.
Bizarre Details Emerge In Megaupload Founder's Arrest
Kim Dotcom: Police Cut Way Into Mansion To Arrest Megaupload Founder
By Mantik Kusjanto
WELLINGTON (Reuters) - New Zealand police on Saturday revealed bizarre details of the arrest of the suspected kingpin of an Internet copyright theft case against the James Bond-like backdrop of a country mansion hideaway with electronic locks, a safe room and a pink Cadillac.
German national Kim Dotcom, also known as Kim Schmitz, was one of four men arrested on Friday, a day before his 38th birthday, in an investigation of the Megaupload.com website led by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The group was accused of engaging in a scheme that took more than $500 million away from copyright holders and generated over $175 million in proceeds from subscriptions and advertising.
A police official said dozens of officers, backed by helicopters, forced their way into the mansion, nestled in lush, rolling farmland, after Dotcom refused them entry, a scene more reminiscent of a high-octane spy drama than the usual policeman's lot in rural New Zealand.
"Despite our staff clearly identifying themselves, Mr Dotcom retreated into the house and activated a number of electronic-locking mechanisms," said Detective Inspector Grant Wormald from the Organised and Financial Crime Agency New Zealand.
Officers broke the locks and Dotcom barricaded himself into a safe room which officers had to cut their way through to gain access.
"Once they gained entry into this room, they found Mr Dotcom near a firearm which had the appearance of a shortened shotgun," he said. "It was definitely not as simple as knocking at the front door."
ROLLS-ROYCE PHANTOM
Two firearms were seized and a 55-year-old New Zealand man has since been charged with illegal possession of a pistol. Computers and documents were also retrieved and more than NZ$10 million ($8 million) was seized from financial institutions.
Television footage showed vehicles, including a pink Cadillac and a Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe, being removed from the property.
The house where Dotcom was arrested was one of the largest and most expensive in the country, worth around NZ$30 million.
Located in hills northwest of New Zealand's largest city, the mansion is surrounded -- at suitably discreet distances -- by other substantial country homes and luxury lifestyle blocks complete with stables, swimming pools and tennis courts.
Dotcom leased the property after being blocked from buying it last year by the government after failing to meet a "good character" test for migrants, although he was granted residency in 2010.
Dotcom has previous convictions for insider trading and embezzlement from his time in Germany and Thailand, according immigration authorities, leading some opposition politicians to question why he was allowed to settle in the first place.
"New Zealand is under the radar, away from Interpol and a better lifestyle than Eastern Europe," Jeffrey Carr, an Internet security expert founder of Taia Global Inc, said of Dotcom's decision to settle in New Zealand.
"They obviously weren't aware how closely the FBI has been building its international relationships over the past few years."
The FBI said Dotcom personally made $42 million from Megaupload in 2010 alone.
Standing some 6'7" tall and reportedly weighing around 300 pounds (136 kg), Dotcom appeared to revel in his outlaw reputation.
Personalized number plates on some 20 vehicles seized from the site included KIMCOM, HACKER, STONED, GUILTY, MAFIA, GOD and POLICE, according to the indictment.
One video on YouTube shows him racing a Mercedes in the Gumball 3000 road rally and talking about bribing a Moroccan official.
Another clip shows a 2011 New Year's Eve fireworks display over Auckland organized and paid for by Dotcom to celebrate his family being granted residency. The display was reported to have cost $500,000.
PIRACY DEBATE
The arrests were made as the debate over online piracy reaches fever pitch in Washington where Congress is trying to craft tougher legislation.
Lawmakers stopped anti-piracy legislation on Friday, postponing a critical vote in a victory for Internet companies that staged a mass online protest against the fast-moving bills.
The movie and music industries want Congress to crack down on Internet piracy and content theft, but major Internet companies like Google and Facebook have complained that current drafts of the legislation would lead to censorship.
Dotcom and the other men made a brief court appearance on Friday will appear again on Monday. They face extradition and a trial in the United States.
On Friday, in a show of support, hackers attacked and temporarily disabled a number of government and entertainment company websites, including the U.S. Justice Department's website.
U.S. Justice Department officials have said that the estimate of $500 million in economic harm to copyright holders cited in a U.S. indictment was at the low end.
The allegations included copyright infringement as well as conspiracy to commit copyright infringement, conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to commit racketeering. Two of the offences carry a maximum penalty of 20 years.
The companies charged, Megaupload Ltd and Vestor Ltd, were both registered in Hong Kong and owned either in large part or solely by Dotcom.
Some 100 officers raided four premises in Hong Kong on Friday including luxury hotel rooms, seizing computer equipment and freezing HK$330 million ($42.5 million) in financial assets, according to Hong Kong Customs.
Megaupload has boasted of having more than 150 million registered users and 50 million daily visitors, according to the indictment. At one point, it was estimated to be the 13th most frequently visited website on the Internet.
Users could upload material to the company's sites which then would create a link that could be distributed. The sites, which included video, music and pornography, did not provide search capabilities but rather relied on others to publish the links, the U.S. indictment said.
Megaupload's U.S. lawyer said the company would "vigorously defend itself" and was trying to recover its servers and get back online.
The Megaupload group used more than 1,500 computer servers in Virginia, Washington D.C., France and the Netherlands to host its sites, according to the FBI.
(Additional reporting by Chris McCall, Michael Perry and James Pomfret; Writing by Lincoln Feast; Editing by Nick Macfie)
also two you tubes that won't transfer..hummmmmmmmmmmm
micjer Senior Member
Number of posts : 5325 Age : 63 Location : canada Registration date : 2009-01-23
Subject: Re: Help STOP SOPA Now!! This Video that Must Be SHARED! Sun Jan 22, 2012 7:54 am
Reunite Moderator
Number of posts : 4993 Age : 47 Location : Here Humor : Dry and Wet Registration date : 2009-01-23
Subject: Re: Help STOP SOPA Now!! This Video that Must Be SHARED! Sun Jan 22, 2012 1:24 pm
Imagine the parties at that mansion
micjer Senior Member
Number of posts : 5325 Age : 63 Location : canada Registration date : 2009-01-23
Subject: Re: Help STOP SOPA Now!! This Video that Must Be SHARED! Fri Jan 27, 2012 8:46 am
Number of posts : 4389 Registration date : 2009-02-01
Subject: Re: Help STOP SOPA Now!! This Video that Must Be SHARED! Fri Jan 27, 2012 4:46 pm
the plan is to shut down the net..or it will probably be.. you will need a license or something similar
the big baddies are getting impatient that we aren't being funneled fast enough into their plans
skywatcher Senior Member
Number of posts : 1827 Age : 71 Location : UK Humor : yes lots Registration date : 2010-12-18
Subject: Re: Help STOP SOPA Now!! This Video that Must Be SHARED! Sat Jan 28, 2012 3:06 am
This is so they can introduce Internet2 with more restrictions
skywatcher Senior Member
Number of posts : 1827 Age : 71 Location : UK Humor : yes lots Registration date : 2010-12-18
Subject: Re: Help STOP SOPA Now!! This Video that Must Be SHARED! Sat Jan 28, 2012 3:27 am
ACTA: The Corporate Usurpation of the Internet Written by Nile Bowie
In the wake of a public outcry against internet regulation bills such as SOPA and PIPA, representatives of the EU have signed a new and far more threatening legislation yesterday in Tokyo. Spearheaded by the governments of the United States and Japan and constructed largely in the absence of public awareness, the measures of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) dramatically alter current international legal framework, while introducing the first substantial processes of global internet governance. With complete contempt towards the democratic process, the negotiations of the treaty were exclusively held between industry representatives and government officials, while excluding elected representatives and members of the press from their hearings.
Under the guise of protecting intellectual property rights, the treaty introduces measures that would allow the private sector to enforce sweeping central authority over internet content. The ACTA abolishes all legal oversight involving the removal of content and allows copyright holders to force ISPs to remove material from the internet, something that presently requires a court order. ISPs would then be faced with legal liabilities if they chose not to remove content. Theoretically, personal blogs can be removed for using company logos without permission or simply linking to copy written material; users could be criminalized, barred from accessing the internet and even imprisoned for sharing copyrighted material. Ultimately, these implications would be starkly detrimental toward the internet as a medium for free speech.
The Obama Administration subverted the legal necessity of allowing to US Senate to ratify the treaty by unconstitutionally declaring it an “executive agreement” before the President promptly signed it on October 1st, 2011. As a touted constitutional lawyer, Barack Obama is fully aware that Article 1, Section 8 of the US Constitution, mandates Congress in dealing with issues of intellectual property, thus voiding the capacity for the President to issue an executive agreement. The White House refused to even disclose details about the legislation to elected officials and civil libertarians over concern that doing so may incur "damage to the national security." While some may hang off every word of his sorely insincere speeches and still be fixated by the promises of hope offered by brand-Obama, his administration has trampled the constitution and introduced the most comprehensive authoritarian legislation in America’s history.
In addition to imposing loosely defined criminal sanctions to average web users, the ACTA treaty will also obligate ISPs to disclose personal user information to copyright holders. The measures introduce legislative processes that contradict the legal framework of participant countries and allows immigration authorities to search laptops, external hard drives and Internet-capable devices at airports and border checkpoints. The treaty is not limited solely to internet-related matters, ACTA would prohibit the production of generic pharmaceuticals and outlaw the use of certain seeds for crops through patents, furthering the corporate cartelization of the food and drug supply.
ACTA would allow companies from any participating country (which include EU member states, the United States, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Morocco) to shut down websites without any explanation. Hypothetically, nothing could prevent private Singaporean companies from promptly taking down American websites that oppose the Singapore Air Force conducting war games on US soil, such as those conducted in December 2011. By operating outside normal judicial framework, exporting US copyright law to the rest of the world and mandating private corporations to conduct surveillance on their users, all prerequisites of democracy, transparency and self-expression are an afterthought.
The further monopolization of the existing resources of communication, exchange and expression is ever present in the form of deceptive new articles of legislation that unanimously call for the implementation of the same austere censorship measures. Even if the ACTA treaty is not implemented, the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TTP) between Australia, Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Vietnam and the United States offers more extensive intellectual property regulations. Leaked documents prepared by the U.S. Business Coalition (which have been reportedly drafted by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufactures of America, the US Chamber of Commerce, and the Motion Picture Association of America) report that in addition to ACTA-style legislation, the TTP will impose fines on non-compliant entities and work to extend the general period of copy write terms on individual products.
Under the sweeping regulations of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, individual infringers will be criminalized and sentenced with the same severity as large-scale offenders. Within the United States, the recently announced Online Protection and Enforcement of Digital Trade (OPEN) H.R. 3782 regulation seeks to install policies largely identical to SOPA and PIPA. The Obama administration is also working towards an Internet ID program, which may be mandatory for American citizens and required when renewing passports, obtaining federal licenses, or applying for social security. Spreading these dangerous measures to other countries participating in these treaties would necessitate a binding obligation on the US to retain these policies, averting any chance of reform.
The ACTA will become law once it is formally ratified and cleared by the European Parliament in June. By petitioning members of the European parliament and educating others about the potential dangers imposed by this legislation, there is a chance of the treaty being rejected. Upon closer examination of the human condition with all of its inequalities, food insecurity and dire social issues, our governments have lost their legitimacy for giving such unwarranted priority to fighting copyright infringement on behalf of lobbyists from the pharmaceutical and entertainment industries. The existence of ACTA is a clear statement that surveillance, regulations and securing further corporate centralization dwarfs any constructive shift towards stimulating human innovation and self-sufficient technologies.
When former US National Security Advisor and Trilateral Commission co-founder, Zbigniew Brzezinski spoke before the Council on Foreign Relations in 2010, he warned of a global political awakening beginning to take place. Technology such as file sharing, blogging, and open source software has the potential to undermine the oligarchical governing interests seeking to centrally control our society and enforce the population into being entirely dependent on their commodities. The following excerpt from Brzezinski’s book Between Two Ages: America’s Role in the Technetronic Era, provides invaluable insight into the world being brought in; “The technetronic era involves the gradual appearance of a more controlled society. Such a society would be dominated by an elite, unrestrained by traditional values. Soon it will be possible to assert almost continuous surveillance over every citizen and maintain up-to-date complete files containing even the most personal information about the citizen. These files will be subject to instantaneous retrieval by the authorities.”
Number of posts : 1827 Age : 71 Location : UK Humor : yes lots Registration date : 2010-12-18
Subject: Re: Help STOP SOPA Now!! This Video that Must Be SHARED! Sat Jan 28, 2012 3:31 am
Anti-ACTA protest video: Thousands march in Poland
skywatcher Senior Member
Number of posts : 1827 Age : 71 Location : UK Humor : yes lots Registration date : 2010-12-18
Subject: Re: Help STOP SOPA Now!! This Video that Must Be SHARED! Mon Jan 30, 2012 12:54 am
The Past, Present and Future of Internet Censorship
stal Senior Member
Number of posts : 1144 Age : 45 Location : under the southern cross Registration date : 2009-02-18
Subject: Re: Help STOP SOPA Now!! This Video that Must Be SHARED! Mon Jan 30, 2012 12:58 pm
when/if they shut down the internet, most of us will be shit out of luck. However, hackers of all three colours have already bored darknet tunnels through pretty much everything, so the info will still flow.
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Subject: Re: Help STOP SOPA Now!! This Video that Must Be SHARED!
Help STOP SOPA Now!! This Video that Must Be SHARED!