Silencing Dissent.

         The tentacles of the state's authority machine spread far and slither into a variety of places. Ever seeking to silence dissent, tie the lips of resistance, isolate the people from the true nature of society, and advance their desire for a submissive population.
       If you ever go on to espive.net, you would expect to find a plethora of views and information on autonomous spaces, resistance to injustice, support for migrants, direct action against repressive state actions, support for those in struggle for freedom, etc..
      However today you will find a very simple message that highlights how the freedom of speech is always under attack from those who oppose real change to this repressive and exploitative society that dominates our daily lives.
      Those who  desire freedom must always be on a war footing and ever vigilant, as the attack on our freedoms is relentless, surreptitious and backed up by repressive legislation, all moulded in favour of those in power.
 

     The following is the clear message you will find today if you click onto espiv.net: 

ENGLISH
Hello, comrades:
        We would like to inform you about the latest developments on the shutdown of the server.
          The information we received is that the server went out of order after an oral command of the rector of Panteion University to their computerisation section on the occasion of a complaint about digital piracy.
       More specifically, this complaint concerned two book titles that were uploaded in pdf format to one of the hundreds of blogs hosted by the server. We immediately tried to contact the rectorial authorities and work out a solution, wanting to regain access to the content of the blogs as soon as possible.
        The server, which hosts 850 blogs, has been located in Panteion University since the beginning of Espiv project in 2008. From time to time issues have arisen, and so far we have managed to overcome them and keep the server in place, at a public university in Athens (Greece).
       We understand that many things have changed over the last 12 years, and from time to time we have discussed the real conditions under which Espiv project continues to operate. However, it is our intention and desire to keep the server in place, with all political and labour collectives, neighbourhood assemblies and self-organised projects hosted on it.
     Our repeated attempts to receive a clear answer from the rectorial authorities fell on deaf ears. On Thursday, 28 May 2020 (a week after the shutdown), we received information that the rector will refer our issue to the next council of the senate of Panteion University, which is unknown when it will take place. One should not be too superstitious or naive to assume that all this is due to increased academic duties. After all, the command to shut down the server was given impressively quickly. With universities still closed and after a two-month lockdown, conditions were considered favourable to add another movement’s infrastructure to the long list of squats and projects recently suppressed. A choice that expands repression in the field of internet, imposing the normality of social media, digital snitching, and recording and surveillance of any information circulated on the internet, again showing that the role of the cop can be played well by all sorts of rectors and state employees. The choice to suppress an infrastructure that supports the expression of dozens of collectives within the antagonist movement can only find us against them.

      We will let you know of any further developments and mobilisations.

NO POLITICAL GAGGING LEFT UNANSWERED.
NOT A STEP BACK.

The administration crew of espiv.net

Visit ann arky's home at https://radicalglasgow.me.uk

Create A Storm.

Dear reader,   Can you click? Do you care about the health of the Internet?   If you answered yes, then we want to recruit you for a special mission. We're dropping airborne leaflets — millions of them — onto various governmental buildings across Europe, and we're inviting you to join in.   Why the special mission? Because outdated copyright law in the EU is threatening the health of the Internet.

The EU's current copyright framework — developed for a time before the Internet — can stymie innovation, preventing entrepreneurs from doing new and interesting things with data and code. It can stifle creativity, making it technically illegal to create, share and remix memes and other online culture and content. And it can limit the materials that educators and nonprofits like Wikipedia depend on for teaching and learning.

Of course, Mozilla doesn't own a fleet of zeppelins. And we like to conserve paper.

So we've teamed up with our friends at Moniker to bring you Paperstorm.it. Paperstorm is a digital advocacy tool that urges EU policy makers to update copyright laws for the Internet age.

Why now? Copyright reform is at a critical juncture. Presently, lawmakers are considering a proposed revision of that copyright law. The amendments they are considering have the potential to make copyright law more Internet-friendly — or, conversely, more restrictive and rooted in the 20th century.

Alone, you might drop a handful of fliers, or perhaps a few hundred. But together, we can drop millions — and send a clear (and fun) message to EU policymakers.

GET STARTED

The good news? We know lawmakers are listening. Some members of the European Parliament have been working diligently to improve the Commission's proposal, and have taken into account some of the changes we've called for, such as removing dangerous provisions like mandatory upload filters, and pushing back against extending copyright to links and snippets.

But many others need to be convinced to support a modern copyright reform that empowers creators, innovators and Internet users.

If you support common-sense copyright law in the EU — and a healthier Internet — join the #paperstorm today.

Thanks for all you do to support sensible copyright reform!

Sincerely, Will Easton Mozilla

Visit ann arky's home at www.radicalglasgow.me.uk

Internet Neutrality.

     The internet is an important part of our day to day life, making net neutrality a very critical issue for us all.

Here is the latest update on this issue from, Fight for the Future:

 Dear Fight for the Future member,

     To put it bluntly, it’s time to get serious. If you care about the Internet, click here to join the Internet Countdown.

     The FCC’s proposed net neutrality rules are expected to drop this week. What matters most right now is that we keep up a constant and sustained barrage of online protest between now and the vote calling for the best possible protections for a free and open web.

     The Internet is awesome at defending itself. As always, we’ve built the tools to make it easy for *EVERYONE* to maximize their potential as an Internet defending hero.

      Your voice matters. Click here to join the Internet Countdown for net neutrality.

      Participating is easy. If you have a website, blog, or Tumblr, you can grab a snippet of code to display this awesome countdown timer on your site, and help drive phone calls and emails to lawmakers in DC. If not, you can join with Twitter, and sign up to tweet the countdown, like this, either once a day, once a week, or just once before the vote on Feb 26th, it’s your choice.

     Thousands have already signed up, helping us reach more than 3.4 million people every day already. If even just half the people on our list did this, we’ll be louder than anything Comcast can dish out.

      Will you help us win a historic victory for free speech? Click here and let’s do this.

    The atmosphere here at Fight for the Future is electric right now. We’re on the cusp of a victory that no one thought was possible, and we owe it all to supporters like you.

With gratitude and hope,

-Evan at FFTF
    P.S. Exciting news! CREDO selected us to receive donations from their customers this month! The more votes we get, the more funds we’ll receive to fight for Internet freedom. To be clear: this is a way you can fund our work, even if you have no money to give. Tens of thousands of dollars are at stake.  Please click here and vote for Fight for the Future! It could make a huge difference. Thanks!
     P.P.S There’s an excellent article in The Guardian today that tells the saga of how a scrappy band of Internet freedom activists managed to beat Big Cable on net neutrality against all odds. We’re quoted in it. Check it out and share..

Want more awesome more often?

* Like us on Facebook
* Follow us on Twitter

* Keep us fighting, chip in what you can.

Visit ann arky's home at www.radicalglasgow.me.uk

Internet Freedom At Stake.

       Urgent action needed: Big Telecom giants are about to force many of your favourite websites into an Internet slow lane,¹ making them buffer sporadically, and return errors.

This is the big one.

         Right now, a high profile case is playing out² that could set a global standard³ and enable your Internet providers to force your Internet use into a slow lane and make accessing services more expensive.

The clock is ticking: Key decision-makers are about to make a landmark ruling on this Internet slowdown,⁴ so we have to raise a loud global call⁵ by the crucial September 15th deadline for public input.

       To fight back, we need you to add your voice to a global movement of Internet users sending decision-makers a powerful message in the final days of public input. Can we count you in, ?

        This ruling will determine whether you can access whatever you want, whenever you want at full speed – whether that’s Netflix, your favourite online comedy site, or your online banking.

But now, Big Telecom wants to take away that choice, and turn the Internet into Cable TV 2.0, where whole websites will be slowed to a snail’s pace.

The clock is counting down: it’s up to you to stand up and be counted in the fight against Big Telecom’s Internet slow down.

        The effects of this landmark ruling will be felt worldwide.⁶ You may not live in the U.S., but many of your favourite websites do.

We’re counting on you. Your OpenMedia team puts together sophisticated tools and platforms to amplify your voice when it matters most – and this is certainly no exception.

     Join with Internet users around the world in the largest digital rights campaign the world has ever seen. We don't have much time: speak out now before the crucial deadline.

Thanks for continuing to step up when we need you the most,

Steve, Josh, and Meghan, on behalf of your OpenMedia team

P.S., The fight for net neutrality is the fight for Internet freedom. We’re up against some big industry players around the world – but with your support, we can ensure the Internet remains an open platform that fuels the type of society we aspire to. Please consider donating today to keep us going.

Footnotes
[1], [4] Net Neutrality, Monopoly, and the Death of the Democratic Internet. Source: Motherboard
[2] U.S. extends deadline for 'net neutrality' comments to Sept 15. Source: Reuters.
[3] Decision-makers in Canada, the U.S., Mexico, and the European Union are considering implementing rules that could either safeguard the open Internet, or hand power to giant telecom conglomerates. Also: “A significant chunk of global Internet traffic flows to and from the United States, and limiting the flow of traffic will have knock-on effects”. Source: Hub Communications.
[5] Countries including the U.S., Canada, Chile, Colombia, Brazil, and The Netherlands have passed rules to prevent telecom giants from discriminating against different types of content flowing across their networks. Get more info by clicking on each country above.
[6] Why U.S. net neutrality debate matters globally. Source: The Hill Times.

We are an award-winning network of people and organizations working to safeguard the possibilities of the open Internet. We work toward informed and participatory digital policy. You can follow us on Twitter, and like us on Facebook. We rely on donations from people like you to operate. Even the smallest contributions go a long way to make your voice heard. Please consider donating today.  Visit ann arky's home at www.radicalglasgow.me.uk

An Open Internet, Or A Corporate Controlled Internet?

President Obama is holding secret meetings in Asia to ram through the TPP’s Internet censorship plan, which would force ISPs to monitor our Internet use, censor content, and remove entire websites. To fight back we need your help to project an attention-grabbing message on key buildings in Washington D.C. Tell decision-makers to stop the secretive TPP now so we can deliver the message before it’s too late.

An urgent appeal from Open Media:

      This is urgent. An Internet censorship plan is being finalized in secret meetings right now. We need all hands on deck at this crucial moment. Click HERE to learn more and speak up.

      Here’s the situation: Obama himself is in secretive meetings with key political figures and lobbyists in Asia to lock the Trans-Pacific Partnership’s Internet censorship plan into place.

We know from leaked documents that this secretive plan will censor your use of the Internet and strip away your rights.1 If finalized, this plan would force ISPs to act as “Internet Police” monitoring our Internet use, censoring content, and removing whole websites.2

     It will give media conglomerates centralized control over what you can watch and share online.

We urgently need your help to fight back. Add your voice right now and we’ll project a Stop the Secrecy message on key buildings in Washington D.C. to ensure Obama, the media, and everyone else knows this censorship plan must be stopped.

       This is huge: covering 40% of the global economy, the TPP is being called a legal “blueprint” for the rest of the world.[3] Once key leaders finalize TPP Internet censorship plans today it will be used to globalize censorship across the world. You will be affected and this may be our only chance to stop it.

        Our attention-grabbing message will shine a light on their secret plan and will make clear to Washington lobbyists that the Internet community will never accept the TPP’s secrecy or censorship. The more who speak out, the larger our projection will become, and the more people we can reach.

This is a decisive moment: we need to act right now. Join with hundreds of thousands of people all over the world to shine a light on the TPP’s job-killing Internet censorship plan. Let’s send decision-makers and the lobbyists pulling the strings a message they can’t ignore: "Stop the secrecy now."

        With every voice that is added to our call, a donor will contribute to make Stop The Secrecy projection in Washington bigger and brighter. We’ve stalled them before and we can kill this censorship plan if we act together at this critical moment. The bureaucrats and lobbyists think they can ram through this damaging binding plan behind your back and without your consent. Will you let them get away with it, John?

      Thank you for being a part of history,

     Steve, Josh, Eva, and David, on behalf of your OpenMedia.org team

      P.S., If the TPP censorship plan goes through, the Internet as we know it will change forever. We’d be left with an Internet that’s far more expensive, censored, and policed. We know we can stop this - but we need to act right now. Can we count on you to stand with us, John?

Footnotes

[1] “Secret Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP).” Source: WikiLeaks.

[2] TPP Creates Legal Incentives For ISPs To Police The Internet. What Is At Risk? Your Rights. Source: Electronic Frontier Foundation

[3] U.S. “Bullying” TPP Negotiators Amid Failure to Agree. Source: Inter Press Service News Agency. *Note: The U.S. and the E.U. are already discussing a similar secretive agreement called "Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP)". Once the TPP is finalized there will be pressure to harmonize and extend its provisions to TTIP -- meaning the E.U. There are also reports of several others countries being added to the TPP once it is finalized.

OpenMedia.org is a non-profit organization that relies on donations from people like you to operate. Our small but dedicated team ensures even the smallest contributions go a long way to make your voice heard. Please donate today.     We are an award-winning network of people and organizations working to safeguard the possibilities of the open Internet. We work toward informed and participatory digital policy. You can follow us on Twitter, and like us on Facebook.
Visit ann arky's home at www.radicalglasgow.me.uk

The Silencing Of The People.

        This matters, this is the squeezing out of you and I, the silencing of the little people. It has to be resisted, or our voices will disappear. This appeal from Avaaz:

      The richest 1% could now control what we all see on the Internet forever. It’s the apocalypse of the Internet as we know it, and will erase the democratic promise of an information highway for everyone the founders of the world wide web imagined.
       Together, our community has built on that vision, using the web to fight corruption, save lives, and bring people-powered aid to countries in crisis. But the US and the EU are on the verge of giving the richest corporations the right to show content fast, while paywalling or slowing down everything else. Avaaz’s ability to show the world citizen journalist footage from Syria, or run campaigns to save our planet is under threat!
        Decisions on both sides of the Atlantic are being made now. But tech innovators, free speech advocates and the best web companies are fighting back. If millions of us join them now we can create the largest call for a democratic and free Internet ever. Sign up now and tell everyone:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/internet_apocalypse_pa_eu/?bwqhjab&v=34958
        Until now, any improvements in the speed and functioning of the Internet benefited all of us — if Rupert Murdoch’s ultra-conservative Fox News got a faster way to stream videos, it also benefitted independent media showing reality on the ground in Ukraine, Syria, or Palestine. Politicians called this “net neutrality” and laws protecting it used to exist in the United States until a court just struck them down. Now, the EU Parliament is threatening to pass regulation that give ISPs the right to carve up the web and control w hat we see, by slowing down or charging for sites that don't pay.
      But we can stop this. First, we will show up with massive global numbers into this week’s public meeting in the United States to decide whether to reinstate Internet protections. Then we will unleash a high powered lobby team to target the EU Parliament to ensure its committees listen to the public. This will be the big first step we need to win these important battles over the next few months.
Web providers like Verizon and Vodafone are lobbying hard for an Internet for the rich. And without a massive response from citizens, they could win, and put our whole community’s work at risk. Most of our Internet is located in the US and the EU so this affects us all. We don’t have any time to lose. Click below to join now:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/internet_apocalypse_pa_eu/?bwqhjab&v=34958
       When our community was less than half of the size it is now, we rallied and helped kill the ACTA treaty and stopped massive Internet censorship laws SOPA/PIPA. Today, we are more powerful than ever. Let’s now join together and ensure that what connects us all stays open.
With hope,
Pascal, Emma, Dalia, Luis, Emilie, Luca, Sayeeda and the whole Avaaz team
    PS - Many Avaaz campaigns are started by members of our community. It's easy to get started - click to start yours now and win on any issue - local, national or global: http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/start_a_petition/?bgMYedb&v=23917

SOURCES:
On dangers of non-Network Neutrality (ABC news):
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/major-ways-internet-change-net-neutrality/story?id=21541399
Save the Internet
http://savetheinternet.eu/en/
EU telecoms market reforms threaten net neutrality and privacy (Wire d)
http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2013-11/19/eu-telecoms-reform-concerns

Federal court strikes down FCC net neutrality rules (The Verge)
http://www.theverge.com/2014/1/14/5307650/federal-court-strikes-down-net-neutrality-rules

Summary of BEREC positions on net neutrality (BEREC)
http://berec.europa.eu/files/document_register_store/2012/12/BoR_(12)_146_Summary_of_BEREC_positions_on_net_neutrality2.pdf

Visit ann arky's home at www.radicalglasgow.me.uk

The Ever Threatening Presence Of Big Brother.

This information and appeal from OpenMedia:

      Now we know why the TPP Internet censorship plan has been kept so secret.

Wikileaks just made public secret documents that show how industry lobbyists are trying to impose an extreme Internet censorship scheme.1

We knew it was going to be bad. We knew it could mean that entire websites and families could be kicked off the Internet. We knew it could lock out the deaf and the blind.

But the TPP Internet censorship plan is even worse than we thought. The leaked documents reveal that:

• U.S. President Obama is trying to impose laws that would clamp down on free expression, compel your Internet service provider to track your Internet usage, and impose extreme penalties for everyday online activities.
• The TPP would create secret transnational Internet censorship courts. It could override national courts and national laws.2

      Yeah, it’s that bad. This leak could change everything -- but only if people know about it. We need to raise a loud public call at this unique moment:

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SHARE ON FACEBOOK NOW

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SHARE ON TWITTER

THEN, SHARE THIS WEBPAGE WITH EVERYONE VIA EMAIL: https://openmedia.org/censorship

      The leaked documents have revealed that the United States government and lobbyists are nearly alone in pushing the most extreme parts of the TPP’s Internet censorship plan.3

    However, the leaked draft also lets us know which countries oppose these extreme new rules. And here’s the good news: many countries are pushing back.4

      The more voices we join together, the stronger the message we can send. It’s that simple. Your action today will make a difference.

Thank you. We can do this,

     Steve and Josh, on behalf of your OpenMedia.org team

P.S. If you’re still reading this, it means you care. This plan is worse than our worst fears. Your small team here at OpenMedia.org are working hard to make sure people know the truth about what’s going on. Can you do your part by chipping in what you can today towards our campaign?

 

Footnotes

[1] Secret Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement. Source: WikiLeaks

[2] How the TPP endangers access to knowledge, technology, and information. Source: Public Citizen.

[3] Leaked treaty is a Hollywood wishlist. Could it derail Obama’s trade agenda? Source: Washington Post.

[4] The Trans Pacific Partnership IP Chapter Leaks: Canada Pushing Back Against Draconian U.S. Demands. Source: Michael Geist.

Visit ann arky's home at www.radicalglasgow.me.uk

THE EVER BUSY, BIG BROTHER.

          No matter how much we try, big brother just keeps on growing. Under the present system of corporate fascism, it will flourish, it is their chosen method of keeping control over us, the ordinary people. Secret rules and regulations, massive surveillance, back-door deals done between government and corporate bodies and more draconian punishments for offenders. It's all part and parcel of this corrupt system, don't expect it to function any other way. It can't be modified, made more open or fair, it has to be removed. That doesn't mean we sit back and wait for its collapse, we have to speak up and speak out at every turn, continually trying to hold back the stifling, creeping surveillance with what ever means at our disposal.

         This latest little pact by the corporate parasites need as much publicity as possible, spread it around, sign the petition.

 

This from STOP THE TRAP:

You could have to pay a big fine for simply clicking on the wrong link.

Right now, a group of 600 industry lobbyist "advisors" and un-elected government trade representatives are scheming behind closed doors to craft an international agreement called the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

Why the secrecy? We know from leaked documents that the TPP includes what amounts to an Internet trap that would:

1. Criminalize some of your everyday use of the Internet,
2. Force service providers to collect and hand over your private data without privacy safeguards, and
3. Give media conglomerates more power to fine you for Internet use, remove online content—including entire websites—and even terminate your access to the Internet.
4. Create a parallel legal system of international tribunals that will undermine national sovereignty and allow conglomerates to sue countries for laws that infringe on their profits.

The TPP's Internet trap is secretive, extreme, and it could criminalize your daily use of the Internet. We deserve to know what will be blocked, what we and our families will be fined for.

If enough of us speak out now, we can force participating governments to come clean. Your signature will send a message to leaders of participating countries. Please sign the petition and share it with everyone you know 

79,789 people have signed (and counting).

SIGN THE PETITION:

 ann arky's home.

THE FIGHT FOR INTERNET FREEDOM.

      This campaign has delivered a 2.4 million petition to the European Parliament, but it seems it is not enough, so let's keep the pressure up and win this one. This from AVAAZ:

Our outcry has stunned European politicians and nearly buried ACTA, but the European Commission is now trying a last ditch attempt to revive it through a legal endorsement. We can stop it if we rally together again and demand the Court assesses ACTA's full impact on our Internet rights and freedoms. Sign the urgent petition now:

      In days, the European Commission will try a last ditch ttempt to revive ACTA. But if we intervene now this global attack on Internet freedom will collapse.
      We are so close to winning -- our 2.4 million strong petition has stunned politicians across Europe and halted the censors. Now the European Commission is on the back foot and hoping the Court of Justice will give ACTA the greenlight by presenting a very narrow legal question that is sure to receive a positive answer.
      But if we all raise our voices now we can ensure the Court looks at all the legal impacts of ACTA, and releases an opinion that tells the truth about ACTA's attack on our rights. Sign the urgent petition to European Commission President José Manuel Barroso to call on the Court to tell the whole truth:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/acta_time_to_win_eu//?vl
        The European Commission spent five years negotiating ACTA in secret with corporations, but in the last five weeks we've blown the ACTA debate into the open. Now the Commission is fighting to keep ACTA alive by getting the blessing of the EU’s highest court. The Commission, well-versed in bureaucratic dodges, may only present the court with a narrow question, preventing it from assessing ACTA's impacts on our freedom of expression, privacy and democracy.
      We’ve forced governments in Poland, Germany, Bulgaria and other countries to freeze ratification. And now, if we win this battle in the European Commission, we can stop ACTA for good. If the EU does not ratify, ACTA will never become a global agreement and negotiators will have to go back to the drawing board to produce a treaty that stops genuine abuses but protects our rights.
      Let's urgently call on the Commission and Court to give ACTA a full and fair hearing, and make sure the whole truth about this threat to our fundamental freedoms is revealed. Sign now and send this to everyone:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/acta_time_to_win_eu//?vl
       Millions of us joined together to fight for Internet freedom and stop the US censorship laws. We won, but now this threat is back on a global scale with ACTA. We've done what no one thought we could and stopped the treaty's march to ratification. Let's finish what we started and beat back ACTA, for good!

With hope and determination,

Alex, Pascal, Laura, Alice, Ricken, Dalia, Diego and the whole Avaaz team

ann arky's home.

SAY "NO" TO ACTA.

              Saturday 11 February saw a demonstration in George Square Glasgow. Though not the largest protest I've seen on the Square it was colourful, enthusiastic and mainly young people. This protest was against ACTA the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, which many believe will be a direct attack on our basic human rights and the fundamental freedom of the internet. What was significant about this protest was not that it took place at all, but the fact that the same thing was happening across Europe on the same day, city after city. This was a pan-European protest. It is a tactic that those protesting against the system should employ. Just as the ACTA is more or less global, so is the attack on our conditions by the corporate Mafia, global, our response can only succeed if we act globally.

ann arky's home.

BIG BROTHER, HE'S STILL AROUND.

        Like I keep saying, in this type of society big brother never goes away, it can be the state, it can be the fascist corporate Mafia, or both. Until we get rid of both, we will always have to fight big brother.

From AVAAZ

A new global treaty could allow corporations to police everything that we do on the Internet. Last week 3 million of us successfully pushed back the US censorship bills -- if we act now, we can get the EU Parliament to bury this new threat to all of us:

       Last week, 3 million of us beat back America's attack on our Internet! -- but there is an even bigger threat out there, and our global movement for freedom online is perfectly poised to kill it for good.

     ACTA -- a global treaty -- could allow corporations to censor the Internet. Negotiated in secret by a small number of rich countries and corporate powers, it would set up a shadowy new anti-counterfeiting body to allow private interests to police everything that we do online and impose massive penalties -- even prison sentences -- against people they say have harmed their business.

      Europe is deciding right now whether to sign ACTA -- and without them, this global attack on Internet freedom will collapse. We know they have opposed ACTA before, but some members of Parliament are wavering -- let's give them the push they need to reject the treaty. Sign the petition -- we'll do a spectacular delivery in Brussels when we reach 500,000 signatures:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/eu_save_the_internet/?vl

       It's outrageous -- governments of four-fifths of the world’s people were excluded from the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) negotiations and unelected bureaucrats have worked closely with corporate lobbyists to craft new rules and a dangerously powerful enforcement regime. ACTA would initially cover the US, EU and 9 other countries, then be rolled out across the world. But if we can get the EU to say no now, the treaty will lose momentum and could stall for good.

      The oppressively strict regulations could mean people everywhere are punished for simple acts such as sharing a newspaper article or uploading a video of a party where copyrighted music is played. Sold as a trade agreement to protect copyrights, ACTA could also ban lifesaving generic drugs and threaten local farmers' access to the seeds they need. And, amazingly, the ACTA committee will have carte blanche to change its own rules and sanctions with no democratic scrutiny.

       Big corporate interests are pushing hard for this, but the EU Parliament stands in the way. Let's send a loud call to Parliamentarians to face down the lobbies and stand firm for Internet freedom. Sign now and send to everyone you know:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/eu_save_the_internet/?vl

         Last week, we saw the strength of our collective power when millions of us joined forces to stop the US from passing an Internet censorship law that would have struck at the heart of the Internet. We also showed the world how powerful our voices can be. Let's raise them again to tackle this new threat.

With hope and determination,
Dalia, Alice, Pascal, Emma, Ricken, Maria Paz and the rest of the Avaaz team

More information:

If You Thought SOPA Was Bad, Just Wait Until You Meet ACTA
http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2012/01/23/if-you-thought-sopa-was-bad-just-wait-until-you-meet-acta/

ACTA vs. SOPA: Five Reasons ACTA is Scarier Threat to Internet Freedom
http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/286925/20120124/acta-sopa-reasons-scarier-threat-internet-freedom.htm?cid=2

What's Wrong With ACTA
http://www.edri.org/edrigram/number10.1/whats-wrong-with-ACTA

The secret treaty: Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) and Its Impact on Access to Medicines
http://www.msfaccess.org/content/secret-treaty-anti-counterfeiting-trade-agreement-acta-and-its-impact-access-medicines

ann arky's home.