European Parliament Takes Step Toward Burying ACTA 53
An anonymous reader writes "The European Parliament's INTA Committee yesterday soundly
rejected a proposal to refer the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade
Agreement to the European Court of Justice for review. ACTA critics viewed
the proposal
as a delay tactic designed with the hope that public opposition to the
agreement would subside in the year or two it would take for a court
review. The 21-5 vote against the motion means that the INTA committee
will conclude its ACTA review later this spring with a full European
Parliament vote expected in June or July. The lack of support for ACTA
within the European Parliament is now out in the open with multiple
parties indicating
they are ready to bury it."
if only the parliament had a binding say (Score:5, Interesting)
Hell, if only there was a way of barring the proposal of "similar legislation" within some timeframe, so it isn't repeatedly proposed in slightly different versions until eventually it passes.
This is the problem with lobbying under democracy - or, in the EU's case, appointment. Like Wikipedia, it's not what's best that remains, nor even what people want - it's whatever is proposed by those with the most resources to push it through.
Re:if only the parliament had a binding say (Score:5, Interesting)
Like how Congress removed SOPA from the table due to opposition, but then immediately proposed a new bill with a new name, but same effects.
And ACTA is still floating around. It's already signed by our lovely president Obama. All it needs now is ratification or rejection by the Senators, but the White House has tabled it. Maybe they plan to enforce it through executive order, instead of through legal means.
Re: (Score:2)
Like how Congress removed SOPA from the table due to opposition, but then immediately proposed a new bill with a new name, but same effects.
And ACTA is still floating around. It's already signed by our lovely president Obama. All it needs now is ratification or rejection by the Senators, but the White House has tabled it. Maybe they plan to enforce it through executive order, instead of through legal means.
I've found that evil usually triumphs, unless good is very, very careful.
Re: (Score:2)
My civics class taught me that a bill goes to the House first, then the Senate, then the President. What happened?
Re: (Score:2)
Humanity. Specifically our liking for loopholes in rules.
Re:if only the parliament had a binding say (Score:5, Informative)
Also, ACTA is a treaty, which only needs ratification by the Senate.
Re: (Score:3)
Well the TARP bailout bill went to the Senate first, and then the House. Rules change whenever politicians decide to ignore the constitution with comments like "Are you serious? Are you serious???" (That was Nancy Pelosi when asked where the insurance purchase mandate was constitutional.)
Now Obama signed the ACTA but is just sitting on it rather than giving it to the Senate for acceptance or rejection. His copyright czar probably intends to enact ACTA through executive rules, rather than laws.
Re: (Score:2)
EUparl has a binding say. (Score:1)
Since lisbon treaty a few years ago. nothing they do not ratify, can take effect in europe.
Lets hope not. (Score:4, Insightful)
with the hope that public opposition to the agreement would subside in the year or two
After SOPA, PIPA, and now ACTA popping up back to back, I'd like to hope people will be paying more attention for things like this.
Re:paying more attention (Score:5, Interesting)
You tell me. As an honest quiz question, do you know the fate of PC-FIPA HR1981?
Remember the run up to busting SOPA? PC-FIPA is *worse* yet I have barely seen any articles on it.
And we also almost missed the boat on ACTA too. I think we finally woke up barely in time to stop that one too, but it got a lot farther.
Re: (Score:2)
Now if you'll excuse me, now that I do know, I have a pitchfork to throw.
Re: (Score:2)
How dare you criticize a bill that protects the children? You must a pedophile.
Re: (Score:2)
Indeed... just see Bill C-11 in Canada for as brazen an example of this as you'll find anywhere.
Re: (Score:2)
I am lost for words.
Re:Wow (Score:2)
Yep.
Wow #1: The title. It's not even evil media corps this time, it's got a different and nastier packaging.
Wow #2: That you hadn't heard of it. Not even on here. I submitted a story on it once to the firehose and it was blocked.
Re:hadn't heard of that one before (Score:2)
And there's two more behind that, back in the "cyber security" packaging again, and those are even more obscure.
Those are even just the "big packaging engines" to sell these bills. Lately they're getting ludicrous, like the recent move to *kill* the amendment that *stops* employers from asking for your Facebook logins.
Or how about the new Troll trick of using Florida law to attempt to get your name from your ISP for troll-suit purposes. Those got barely stopped last week by a couple of awake judges, but it
"Bury", not "Remove all traces from existence" (Score:2, Insightful)
The lack of support for ACTA within the European Parliament is now out in the open with multiple parties indicating they are ready to bury it.
The members of the media industry have very very good shovels.
Encouraging (Score:4, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2, Funny)
Europe are fagets. I went their one time and their were fagits all over the place. USA should not be concerned with what bunch of faget European people are doing in there faget parliaments. If anything need to be buried it the Europe fagets who sin in the eyes of God and debase each other.
UPVOTE PARENT AS INSIGHTFUL AND FUNNY. this man is obviously learned. Yes yes, there faget parliaments, indeed. I wholeheartedly concur. Debasing is happening constantly, I'm sure of it.
GP is, however, wrong (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Moreover, Fget in Romania is too small to support its own parliament.
Re:Encouraging (Score:5, Interesting)
I hope it's gone... (Score:2)
...but bitter experience teaches me that copyright thugs have deep pockets, they don't *get* *it* and they're willing to play the long game. For every SOPA, PIPA and ACTA, there are a bazillion legislators that are willing to take Big Media's dime.
IFFA Standards Anyone? (Score:1)
According to the WRA precendent set down by the ELA 5 years ago, though, this won't fly. Rejecting a proposal is only limited to BHA-type laws, and cannot go against ELA-enforced HHO measures. First things first - the EP needs to MT ratify ACTA.
Re:IFFA Standards Anyone? (Score:4, Funny)
You're bullshitting us with acronyms, aren't you?
TFA says the the court review is NOT blocked! (Score:3)
Unfortunately it looks like the unelected buerocrats in the European Commission can push this for court review despite the will of the democratic parliament. This is exactly why people hate the EU. Get rid of the European Commission and we'll talk.
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
This is exactly why people hate the EU. Get rid of the European Commission and we'll talk.
The real power is not with the parliament, nor the commission.
The real power is (and has always been) with the European Council [wikipedia.org].
Re: (Score:2)
The real power is (and has always been) with the European Council
Hear, hear.
While the Commission is no more democratically elected than the Council, at least they are serious about transparency. The Council holds a disproportionate amount of power, and they are completely opaque.
Re: (Score:2)
Isn't the EU Commission the executive branch? Can't the government function without an executive?
Burying? (Score:3)
Fear of Government or Fear of the People (Score:1)
One thing I've heard very recently, and this may be a slight exaggeration but I think this rejection of ACTA kinda shows it: Do the people fear the government or does the government fear the people?
If you think about it, why would the European politicians actually care about not passing ACTA? They get their bribes from interested parties for their support of course, but the difference must be that they fear the people will vote them out of the office. That's the only thing I can think of that prevents th
Re: (Score:2)
The elected government fears the people. The people fear the bureaucrats. The bureaucrats fear no-one and, if they don't get their way, they'll cause grief in the name of the elected in the eyes of the public. Question* Schneier before Congress? The TSA will start shoving gloved hands up orifices and crediting Congress with the requirement. Then, good luck getting re-elected.
In the EU, ACTA is seen as primarily an American interest. So EU bureaucrats are less likely to go to bat for it. As a result, the e
Like a zombie (Score:2)
These things never really go away after they are buried.
I don't think so... (Score:1)
Bury it? Yeah right.
They're just waiting for the new cheques to clear and people to start looking the other way again.