I don’t have time to do a comprehensive diary right now (just moved to California from Canada to start a job) but the Bush administration is trying to slip some major, invasive reforms under the radar in the form of Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA). This treaty, negotiated in secret between trade representatives of Canada, Europe, the US, Japan, and others, would drastically reform copyright and privacy laws, and would be presented as a fait d’accompli in December – after Americans have voted, and (if I understand right) binding on the new administration.
Some relevant links:
An ACTA Call to Arms: No More Secret Government
The Proposed Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA): Global Policy Implications
The Democrats should be fiercely opposing this treaty. It’s being negotiated in secret, in consultation between trade officers and large corporate interests. It eviscerates private property rights, privacy rights, and rights to freedom of speech. Among other things, it will likely mandate search and retention of data on laptops, iPods, and other storage devices at border crossings; filtering and monitoring of traffic by ISPs; and other similarly draconian measures.
There’s no good reason for this treaty. We need to put a stop to stealth law-making outside the democratic process through “trade agreements” and “treaties” with scopes well beyond trade and foreign relations.
[Update]: Cory Doctorow posts about a Wikileaks’d memo. Apparently, ACTA attempts to outlaw “P2P”, even when used to share works that are legally available! I really have to wonder how this is managed. It sounds like it might make, say, the entire BitTorrent protocol illegal, which a lot of companies will not be happy about.
