ACTA to sweep the 'Net clean: latest leak
- Author: Monica Horten
- Published: 21 February 2010
The ACTA Internet chapter is even more grotesque than anticipated. It takes a 360 degree sweep across all possibilities for enforcement of copyright and trade marks. It has onerous obligations not just for ISPs but for web hosts and server operators. The Internet as we know it is definitely under threat.
The latest leak from the ACTA (Anti-counterfeiting Trade Agreement) indicates that EU and US negotiators are being somewhat sparse with the truth when they claim there is no 3-strikes in ACTA. It is clear from the document that this is a treaty about copyright enforcement and that it attacks not only Internet users, but web hosts and the providers of the networks themselves.
The ACTA Internet Chapter includes the following:
- mandates ISPs to be liable for copyright enforcement. They will only have a legal defence if they can prove they have policies in place to police their networks for copyright enforcement, such as a system of terminating the access of 'repeat infringers'. This is written in such a way that the negotiators can falsely claim that they are not mandating a graduated response system. The fact is that they will mandate such onerous liability onto the ISPs, and recommend a policy that is by any other name, graduated response or 3-strikes. It will be the only way the ISP can escape being sued by rights-holder interests.
-anyone who creates a technological method of working around the enforcement measures can be prosected, potentially incurring criminal sanctions. It is uncertain what this might include in the network context (perhaps the lawyers can help here?) .
- applies to trade marks, as well as all forms of copyright. That means it attacks eBay and ecommerce businesses, as well as peer-to-peer filesharing.
- the sanctions will be applied to businesses as well as individual users (footnote 3).
- a very wide definition of 'online service provider' sweeps in potentially any website, any web hosts, anyone operating a hosting centre, as well as the ISPs provising end-user access.
The EU's Trade (INTA) committee will be discussing ACTA this Tuesday.
Read the leaked ACTA chapter (actually, it's only a section of it, but it does contain these onerous provisions).
Further analysis from Michael Geist .
This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial-Share Alike 2.5 UK:England and Wales License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/ It may be used for non-commercial purposes only, and the author's name should be attributed. The correct attribution for this article is: Monica Horten (2010) ACTA to sweep the 'Net clean: latest lea, khttp://www.iptegrity.com 21 February 2010
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About Iptegrity
Iptegrity.com is the website of Dr Monica Horten, independent policy advisor: online safety, technology and human rights. Advocating to protect the rights of the majority of law abiding citizens online. Independent expert on the Council of Europe Committee of Experts on online safety and empowerment of content creators and users. Published author, and post-doctoral scholar, with a PhD from the University of Westminster, and a DipM from the Chartered Institute of Marketing. Former telecoms journalist, experienced panelist and Chair, cited in the media eg BBC, iNews, Times, Guardian and Politico.
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