ACTA - Real Or Perceived Threat To Internet Freedom?

A must-read for anti-ACTA protesters in LT,
(click on the image to enlarge it)

Today Liberals Movement of the Republic of Lithuania in their website published my article on ACTA (in Lithuanian). It is some what calmer and different from my first reaction to ACTA (in English), which I wrote on the next day after EU signed ACTA in Tokyo, but I am still against it.

Tomorrow (Saturday, 11 February), there will be protests going on against ACTA across the whole Europe. For those in Lithuania - come to protest against ACTA in Vilnius, Kaunas or Klaipėda. Action in Vilnius will take place in Vincas Kudirka square starting from 12 am (please RSVP in Facebook event). For those who are not informed or have not made up their minds yet - please read translation of ьн article bellow, maybe it will help to take a stance:

ACTA - Real Or Perceived Threat To Internet Freedom?

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I am writing this thinking that you are already familiar with ACTA (full document available here), know about stop-acta.lt movement in Lithuania (or abroad) and its supporters arguments, and maybe even have read EU's reaction to criticism of ACTA - "10 Myths about ACTA". I am against ACTA and in the following few paragraphs I would like to draw your attention to some facts, which I helped me to form my own opinion. I will avoid philosophical reflections on the intellectual property or imposing my opinion.

EU official statement is that ACTA is just another agreement that will facilitate co-operation, in order to combat intellectual property rights violations. But it is a fact that for some reason it has been drafted and approved  completely separately from the World Trade Organization (and other similar existing org. or agreements), whose principal activity is to be a platform for such agreements and negotiations about them. This and other uncertainties in the process of forming ACTA has caused distrust and criticism even by the European Parliament (read MEP Leonidas Donskis statement here or Google for other MEP's response to ACTA in English). This is important because we are talking not just about freedom Internet, but the doubt that ACTA violate human rights and freedom of expression. So now I would like to ask you a different question, which slightly changes the title of this article - whether we can risk even with the perceived threat to violate most essential rights guaranteed to us by the Constitution and our laws?

The claim that ACTA will contradict and change some of the existing laws is a responded with assuring statements that ACTA provisions are compatible with existing EU legislation and will not require the Member States to review its measures that implement existing EU legislation. In short, everything is fine with our legal system, ACTA is intended to protect intellectual property in developing countries. But such countries as China, India and Russia have already refused to sign ACTA! Followed a number of EU and other countries. The question is, who still needs ACTA and why? 

In addition to those two key points, there are a dozens of smaller ones we have to ask ourselves about ACTA. Especially how criminal investigations will be carried out and  implementation of new regulations ensured. In the information shared about ACTA it is emphasized that it is necessary in order to combat infringements of intellectual property; theft of patents, designs and geographical indications etc. carried out by criminal gangs. And all this will be somehow mystically achieved with ACTA, but personal information online will not be checked or monitored, websites will remain uncensored media and travelers checked. Am I the only one questions on How and What kind of institutions after ACTA will be able to find intellectual property violations WITHOUT inspections and surveillance? Some promises sound really interesting: "travelers will not be checked if the violation of intellectual property rights of manufactured goods are for non-commercial use and if it is not of large-scale" - How it is possible for the officer to know that I am not  breaking intellectual property rights, and / or not doing on large-scale even before checking me? What is  large-scale trafficking and how officers will separate it from the small-scale illegal trade, from observing me at the airport?

Once again, I invite everyone to come and contribute to the campaign to raise public awareness about ACTA organized by Liberal Youth. For politicians in particular, because they may influence the outcome. Or at least come to discuss the issues, people. The action will take place in Vincas Kudirka square (invitation to the event in Facebook) on 11th of February (Saturday) 12 am. 

Eddy

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