Okay, I never do this, but this information just came across my inbox today and as it has the potential to affect nearly everyone here, I thought I should share it.
Countries affected directly by this: United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Brunei, Japan, Malaysia, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam. But the spin-off effects would pretty much be global.
Quote:
The TPP seeks, among other things, to rewrite the global rules on intellectual property enforcement that would give Big Media new powers to lock users out of our own content and services, provide new liabilities that might force ISPs to police our online activity, and give giant media companies even greater powers to shut down websites and remove content at will. It also encourages ISPs to block accused infringers’ Internet access, and could force ISPs to hand over our private information to big media conglomerates without appropriate privacy safeguards. [I]t appears that the TPP would turn all Internet users into suspected copyright criminals. In fact it appears to criminalize content sharing in general.
Backed by megacorporate lobbyists from the U.S., the negotiations around the TPP are largely happening behind closed doors.
While a lot of the information about the TPP is being kept secret, we do however know that informal negotiations recently took place in Chile, which included discussion of online copyright enforcement.
The TPP negotiations are not new—they have been ongoing since 2008—but have escaped widespread public attention due to the private operations of the involved parties. The next set of formal negotiations will be the 12th round, with past rounds having taken place around the globe. According to the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office, negotiators are seeking to finalize the TPP by this July.
This approach to establishing digital policy is backwards: it is undemocratic and is patently unfair. Any new mechanism to protect content owners needs to be balanced with the rights of Internet users. Without proper citizen and stakeholder consultation and open access to TPP documents, there are no checks in place ensuring that negotiators have the concerns and well-being of global citizens in mind.
And for whatever good it might do, here's a petition to say you're against that. http://stopthetrap.net/
Edited by SarsenLintel (06/27/1210:57 AM) Edit Reason: added a list of countries affected
So what exactly won't we be able to do if it passes?
That's kind of the problem, they're apparently doing it all behind closed doors secretly, so we don't exactly know what's in it. Some people claim it's worse than SOPA was, but as it's a secret there's no way to be sure.
So, based on the documents that have leaked, here's what it might do:
- Criminalize some of your everyday use of the Internet - Force service providers to collect and hand over your private data without privacy safeguards - 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.
The petition is not saying "ohmigod stop it you evil corporate stooges" but rather "um... excuse me, we'd kinda like to be involved here..."
Edited by SarsenLintel (06/27/1201:15 PM) Edit Reason: added some info
I see a lot of "no one knows for sure" and, "I can't say for certain, but I'm sure it's going to be worse" in the commentary. I'm not unsympathetic to privacy issues, but the rest of it seems speculative at best.
I'm one of the least knowledgeable people on the internet when it comes to copyright protection, illegal downloads, bootleg copies, etc. But even I personally know people who swap multi-terabyte harddrives to copy out thousands of songs and make "backup copies." We're not talking about the free exchange of ideas here, that's theft.
I know that's just one small and overused example, but there's an equal and opposite reaction here, and it's hard to disagree with the basic principle businesses are defending.
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#3880579 - 06/29/1201:15 AMRe: *sigh* Big Media trying to take over the Internet again?
[Re: tgas2010]
JT
Menounos Numero Uno
Registered: 08/09/04
Posts: 66272
Loc: Nueva York
They are taking over the world. For example a company like Comcast owns NBC, Universal Studios, cable companies, and that includes cable internet. Time Warner also a similar situation. One day its just gonna be Walmart and Taco Bell.
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#3881482 - 06/29/1205:08 PMRe: *sigh* Big Media trying to take over the Internet again?
[Re: JT]
RE Slider
You Tonkin' To Me?
Registered: 08/08/05
Posts: 89730
Loc: Tonkin Donuts
Originally Posted By: JT
They are taking over the world. For example a company like Comcast owns NBC, Universal Studios, cable companies, and that includes cable internet. Time Warner also a similar situation. One day its just gonna be Walmart and Taco Bell.
seen wall-e? that's what this reminded me of... just one huge company that controls all
...it's hard to disagree with the basic principle businesses are defending.
That is not the basic principles (like "don't steal") that are being defended in a fair manner. It's like, certain companies define and decide what stealing is--and that apparently doesn't apply to what they are doing themselves because they have the money to pay fancy lawyers and also the money to lobby the congress to justify their own behavior. Ethical behavior is required of everybody IMO. Two wrongs don't make a right but at least neither side can claim to be walking the higher ground.
"Gentlemen! You can't fight in here. This is the War Room!"
Bye for now 
"backup copies." We're not talking about the free exchange of ideas here, that's theft.
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