Important: The FTAA and the loss of everything

IP Justice has published a white paper on the intellectual property aspects of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) treaty, which is an attempt to create a single free trade agreement for the Western Hemisphere. Read the press release. The analysis is pretty devastating. The proposed language of the agreement has a number of serious flaws, including (but certainly not limited to) enhanced criminal penalties, a super-DMCA provision, reduced scope for fair use, and database protection elements. The proposed treaty is supposed to be complete by January 2005 and go into effect December 2005. Now is not too early to let your representatives and others know what a bad idea the intellectual property elements of the treaty are."

Ressources:


http://www.ipjustice.org/FTAA/release20031020.shtml
http://ipjustice.org/FTAA/IPJ_FTAA_White_Paper_r_1_2.html
http://www.ftaa-alca.org/

Americans of all countries, this is most serious. Write your congressman, senator, whoever. And do it in masses. This thing could result in the worst thing since 1933. This horror does not stop at the IP rights. This is basically a “corporations, please take over”-kind of treaty.

i love how europeans care more about american politics than americans do. for good reason too.

more worrisome than intellectual property rights is how these destory jobs in the wealthy countries and send them to poor latin american countries which pay people 10 cents a month. they only benefit assholes.

Bush has the aproximate IQ of the australian desert fly.

I can only answer with two quotes…

Originally said by Richard M Stallman
Don’t care about your freedom and you’ll loose it teaches history; “Don’t bother us with Politics!” says those who do not wish to learn.

And

Originally said by Richard Rahl
People never realise what it means to have freedom until they lose it.

I’ll rather die before I give up my right to code whatever the hell I want. 'Nuff said.

If FTAA is ever implemented, I will become a terrorist. It’s not just about the computer stuff you posted here, but the thing as a whole.

Originally posted by Wertigon
[b]

I’ll rather die before I give up my right to code whatever the hell I want. 'Nuff said. [/b]

Not to get off topic, but am I the only one who thought this topic said “FFTA” at first glance? o_O

Yeah, I did too. I don’t think its a problem though, considering some other topic swings around here :hahaha; .