[Wiltshire] Wiltshire Digest, Vol 123, Issue 1
gordon
gordon.s1 at btinternet.com
Tue Apr 17 16:37:18 UTC 2012
Hi there folks,
I would like your help if possible ?.
This is to lobby/email your MP/MEP on our behalf about ACTA.
The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement signed by the UK and going thru
the EU at the moment.
----------------------------------------------------
I have sent you this item because I would like your help in persuading
our MEP's to vote NO to this trade agreement.
This is a far reaching piece of legislation with lots of problems for us
the users and other countries too.
-------------------------------------------------------------
My Name Gordon Sim and I am very concerned over the trade agreement that
has been signed in secret by the UK Government.
This is also going thru the EU committees and Parliament at the moment.
The gist of ACTA (Anti-Couterfeiting Trade Agreement) is to try and stop
Music and Film piracy.
BUT, the item is written so badly that it could affect any user
downloading anything, in fact Google has spent some $6M in lobbying due
to this with Youtube.
Also this will become a criminal offence and therefore youngsters and
parents could be faced with a criminal conviction.
On top of this with BT and TalkTalk failing in the EU court over not
being criminalised over users downloads, the cost of Broadband/Internet
use via your ISP will very likely go up due to having to use more and
newer kit for monitoring use, it's storage and vetting of staff.
I have had a reply from my local MP Mr James Gray who appears to be in
favour of this, maybe you can check with your local MP and get their
views on this as it will affect all users ?.
For more uptodate info you could look at www.laquadrature.net.
Rgds Gordon
----------------------------------------
FOR FURTHER INFO ON THIS SUBJECT:- www.laquadtrature.net .
MEP's FOR THE UK:- http://www.europarl.org.uk/view/en/your_MEPs.html
or https://memopol.lqdn.fr/europe/parliament/country/GB/
FOR THE SOUTHWEST we have 6 MEP's.
These are:-
Ashley Fox <ashley at ashleyfoxmep.co.uk>
Julie Girling:- GIRLING Julie <julie.girling at europarl.europa.eu>
Sir Graham Watson:- "Graham Watson MEP (Casework)"
<casework at grahamwatsonmep.org>
Giles Chichester:- giles at gileschichestermep.org.uk
Trevor Coleman:- trevor.colman at th-eu-nit.com
William (The Earl of) Dartmouth:- wdartmouthmep at aol.com
AND YES, I have emailed them all and have had replies and also spoken to
Sir Graham Watson MEP for approx 20 mins on phone.
Have also had a half hour talk with local MP, Mr James Gray who was
helpful, therefore have put together some further questions for the UK
Government.
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My simple initial letter/email to my MEP if you want to use it.
My name is XXXXXXXXXX and I live in North Wiltshire.
As one of our MEP's could you tell me your position on "ACTA" ?.
Are you in favour or not and what are your views about how it will
affect users ?.
Having read most of what "ACTA" is about it causes me a lot of concern
especially as someone who uses the web a lot.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Rgds XXXXXX
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These are the suggested questions for your local MP Mr James Gray.
1. What steps did the ACTA group/committee take to ensure that this
Trade Agreement did not violate any other legal areas ?.
2. What other organisations were consulted on ACTA, BCS, IET,IPO,
Consumer Groups, Universities, Colleges, Hospitals, Police, OFCOM ?.
3. What exact questions were asked of these groups and what were the
replies ?.
4. What safeguards will be put in place to ensure proper due diligence
is followed in the manner of policing this ACTA and who will
monitor, coordinate and be publicy accountable ?.
5. How will this be announced and what clear guidance will be given to
all concerned parties ?.
6. How is this agreement (ACTA) to be policed and by whom ?.
7. What exact measures are to be taken against users who copy copyright
material ?.
8. Please list all items of copyright material that ACTA will cover ?.
9. Please explain how users who are accused of copying material have
any legal redress against false accusations ?.
10. Will anyone accused in connection with ACTA have a criminal record
?.
11. Will there be legal aid available for those disadvantaged people who
are accused under ACTA ?.
12. Please explain the course of events of anyone accused of misuse of
ACTA. No of warnings,loss of internet connection etc ?.
13. With the increased affectiveness of Trojans and Viruses some folk
will become part of a "BOTNET" without knowing it and will therefore
possibly be accused of a violation of ACTA.
What steps therefore will be taken to ensure these folk are not
unfairly penalised ?.
14. What increased cost to users will this ACTA amount to ?.
15. Due to the methods proposed in this ACTA it appears that it is
expected that ISP's will monitor users, store data and have to vett
staff due to security of data, this will have a cost of possibly
some £500m with ongoing costs of some £20-40M per year.
Who is going to pay for this and how will the costs be monitored so
that it is not the users that pay for this but the proposers of
ACTA ?.
16. Please explain what linkage there is and the consequences with this
ACTA and the UK extradition treaty with the USA ?.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Having read further info on this item ACTA, I asked a legal aquaintance
what he thought about it and having read most and the arguments for and
against, his thoughts were as such:-
"If you were in business and signed an agreement such as this then you
would be asking for trouble ",
"There is too many conflicts, no clear actions and many consequences
without any clear method of resolution".
"Anyone who signed this without proper equal and balanced negotiation
which was properly and legally defined in all areas would be stupid" !.
Not only do I agree but there are obvious other concerns especially as
you might be aware that BT and TalkTalk have just failed in talks with
the EU courts on monitoring users via ISP's.
This causes problems for ISP's because they dont want to be held
accountable for users problems.
Therefore I asked my ISP what could be the cost to them/me about ACTA
and monitoring users.
They feel they would have to comply with the law/legal and therefore it
would cost them/me more to use broadband/internet because they would
have to use more equipment and storage of details plus it would slow
down the WEB.
Plus there is the thought that staff would have to be vetted to be
secure especially as the Govenments want to be able to transfer medical
records between sites and many Universities/Colleges transfer lots of
data between sites.
---------------------------------
The more you look at the possible consequences of this ACTA which have
not been thought through and with the speed of change in Technology then
there needs to be a radical rethink of its actions, consequenses and
conflicts.
As you can see there is an awful lot to do with this item and if you
read some of the info on web sites it's a lot to take in but if we
don't, then it will cost every WEB user not just money but freedom.
------------------------------------------------------
Thanks to all for your help and please keep me poseted on replies.
Any further info please let me know.
Rgds Gordon.
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