[P2P-F] Fwd: ACTA: The new threat to the net

[Dante-Gabryell Monson]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Dalia Hashad - Avaaz.org <avaaz at avaaz.org>
Date: Thu, Jan 26, 2012 at 11:23 PM
Subject: ACTA: The new threat to the net

**
Dear friends,

  <http://www.avaaz.org/en/eu_save_the_internet/?cl=1533854803&v=12249>

*A new global treaty could allow corporations to police everything that we
do on the Internet.* Last week 3 million of us successfully pushed back the
US censorship bills -- *if we act now, we can get the EU Parliament to bury
this new threat* to all of us:

[image: Click here to sign the
petition]<http://www.avaaz.org/en/eu_save_the_internet/?cl=1533854803&v=12249>
Last week, 3 million of us beat back America's attack on our Internet! --
but there is an even bigger threat out there, and our global movement for
freedom online is perfectly poised to kill it for good.

*ACTA -- a global treaty -- could allow corporations to censor the Internet.
* Negotiated in secret by a small number of rich countries and corporate
powers, it would set up a shadowy new anti-counterfeiting body to allow
private interests to police everything that we do online and impose massive
penalties -- even prison sentences -- against people they say have harmed
their business.

*Europe is deciding right now whether to ratify ACTA -- and without them,
this global attack on Internet freedom will collapse.* We know they have
opposed ACTA before, but some members of Parliament are wavering -- *let's
give them the push they need to reject the treaty.* Sign the petition --
we'll do a spectacular delivery in Brussels when we reach 500,000
signatures:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/eu_save_the_internet/?vl<http://www.avaaz.org/en/eu_save_the_internet/?cl=1533854803&v=12249>

It's outrageous -- governments of four-fifths of the world’s people were
excluded from the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) negotiations
and *unelected bureaucrats have worked closely with corporate lobbyists to
craft new rules and a dangerously powerful enforcement regime.* ACTA would
initially cover the US, EU and 9 other countries, then be rolled out across
the world. But if we can get the EU to say no now, the treaty will lose
momentum and could stall for good.

The oppressively strict regulations could mean people everywhere are
punished for simple acts such as sharing a newspaper article or uploading a
video of a party where copyrighted music is played. Sold as a trade
agreement to protect copyrights, *ACTA could also ban lifesaving generic
drugs and threaten local farmers' access to the seeds they need.* And,
amazingly, the ACTA committee will have carte blanche to change its own
rules and sanctions with no democratic scrutiny.

*Big corporate interests are pushing hard for this, but the EU Parliament
stands in the way.* Let's send a loud call to Parliamentarians to face down
the lobbies and stand firm for Internet freedom. Sign now and send to
everyone you know:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/eu_save_the_internet/?vl<http://www.avaaz.org/en/eu_save_the_internet/?cl=1533854803&v=12249>

Last week, we saw the strength of our collective power when millions of us
joined forces to stop the US from passing an Internet censorship law that
would have struck at the heart of the Internet. We also showed the world
how powerful our voices can be. Let's raise them again to tackle this new
threat.

With hope and determination,

Dalia, Alice, Pascal, Emma, Ricken, Maria Paz and the rest of the Avaaz
team

More information:

If You Thought SOPA Was Bad, Just Wait Until You Meet ACTA
http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2012/01/23/if-you-thought-sopa-was-bad-just-wait-until-you-meet-acta/

ACTA vs. SOPA: Five Reasons ACTA is Scarier Threat to Internet Freedom
http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/286925/20120124/acta-sopa-reasons-scarier-threat-internet-freedom.htm?cid=2

What's Wrong With ACTA
http://www.edri.org/edrigram/number10.1/whats-wrong-with-ACTA

The secret treaty: Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) and Its
Impact on Access to Medicines
http://www.msfaccess.org/content/secret-treaty-anti-counterfeiting-trade-agreement-acta-and-its-impact-access-medicines


*Avaaz.org is a 10-million-person global campaign network* that works to
ensure that the views and values of the world's people shape global
decision-making. ("Avaaz" means "voice" or "song" in many languages.) Avaaz
members live in every nation of the world; our team is spread across 13
countries on 4 continents and operates in 14 languages. Learn about some of
Avaaz's biggest campaigns here<http://www.avaaz.org/en/highlights.php/?footer>,
or follow us on Facebook <http://www.facebook.com/Avaaz> or
Twitter<http://twitter.com/Avaaz>
.

To contact Avaaz, please *do not reply to this email.* Instead, write to us
at www.avaaz.org/en/contact <http://www.avaaz.org/en/contact?footer> or
call us at +1-888-922-8229 (US).
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