Saturday, June 05, 2010

ACTA Update: Obama Administration's IP Strategy Comes Under Fire From Tech Associations

For background on the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, visit the excellent Wikipedia page.

Last week my post on ACTA was picked up in a very kind and thoughtful review by Mike Masnik, of Techdirt, here. Thanks, Mike!  I didn't know anyone read my blog.

My take on ACTA, agreeing with EFF that Anti-Counterfeiting Treaty is a Sham" here.

A great analysis (in a more subdued and more thoughtful - and thus credible - Washingtontonian way), from the Center for Democracy you will find here.   Looking past the measured language, they are accusing copyright lobbyists of wishing to get through ACTA what they might not get in the US, take over Third World governments and use ACTA as a means of cramming copyright content into those countries' media systems while completely depriving the citizens of those countries of rights equivalent to the First Amendment.

And below a link to recent developments on Capitol Hill - consumer electronics trade associations waking up to ACTA's implications: Consumer Electronics Association, TechAmerica and the Computer & Communications Industry Association

Three tech associations oppose Obama IP effort on anti-counterfeiting deal - The Hill's Hillicon Valley

Ben Scheffner's March 3, 2010 post of a letter from USTR Ron Kirk to Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Or) claiming that ACTA would not alter existing US law here.

Purchase Copyright Litigation Handbook from West here

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