[A2k] M. Geist re ACTA process

[Manon Ress]

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[ Picked text/plain from multipart/alternative ]
Ask First, ACTA Later
By Michael Geist

http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/2380/125/

Thursday November 15, 2007

Kim Weatherall notes that the Australian government has launched a
public consultation on its possible involvement in the Anti-
Counterfeiting Trade Agreement negotiations.  Unlike the Canadian
government, which jumped at the chance to join the U.S. in the
negotiations with no advance warning and no public discussion, the
Australians are taking the time to ask the public whether it thinks
the country should participate in the negotiations, whether change is
needed, and, if they participate, what should be avoided. The
consultation includes a background document (which interestingly
makes no mention of Canada's participation) that provides far more
information on the process than the Canadian government has told its
own citizens.  For example, it reports that:

The ACTA is at a very early stage, with a first round of pre-
negotiation technical discussions held on 4 October 2007. Australia,
Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, the EC, the US,
Switzerland and others attended these discussions in Switzerland. A
second round of technical discussions is scheduled for the first week
of December. No date has yet been set for beginning formal
negotiations, although this is likely to occur in early 2008. No
draft text has yet been prepared. Early negotiations are likely to
include the same countries as above, with more countries likely to
participate as negotiations continue.

The background document also notes that Australia has been recognized
by the OECD as having a low incidence of intellectual property rights
infringement.  While you would never know it from the rhetoric of
some lobby groups and even our own MPs, Canada actually ranked even
lower than Australia and the U.S. in the OECD's General Trade Related
Index of Counterfeiting.  Australia may join the ACTA discussions,
but at least it is adopting an open, transparent process where the
public is both informed and invited to provide their views.
Canadians should demand the same.

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Manon Anne Ress
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Il vaut mieux remuer une question, sans la d=E9cider, que la d=E9cider,
sans la remuer.
Pens=E9es, essais, maximes et correspondance de J. Joubert  p.249
http://visualiseur.bnf.fr/Visualiseur?Destination=3DGallica&O=3DNUMM-88671
Translation: It is better to debate a question without settling it
than to settle a question without debating it