Consolidated ACTA leak as Word document

Click to download the leaked ACTA document as a Word file

The European Commission is negotiating the international ACTA agreement about intellectual property rights enforcement, but it refuses grant public and parliamentary access to ACTA negotiation texts and summaries.

The negotiations are carried out behind closed doors, and not even the elected members of the European Parliament are allowed to see the texts.

The only way that we can get to know what they are planning to do in the name of intellectual property rights enforcement, is to rely on leaks.

A leaked consolidated version of the ACTA text dated January 18th, 2010, has been floating around unofficially in the corridors in Brussels for some time. Last week, the French activist organization La Quadrature du Net published a pdf of the leaked ACTA document with each page scanned as a picture.

The same pdf file is also available for download via The Pirate Bay.

The leaked ACTA text is now also available as a Word document (which can be read with the free software suite Open Office ).

I got it from a net activist who prefers to remain anonymous, but has gone to the trouble of converting the document to text format and proof reading it to make sure the transcription is as accurate as possible.

He points out that the page numbering is not completely in sync with the original, so if you want to make references to a specific page, you will have to consult the original.

It is of course good that we at least have access to the text in leaked format, but it is not enough.

According to the Lisbon Treaty, which went into force on December 1, 2009, the Commission has a legal obligation to inform the European Parliament immediately and fully at all stages of international negotiations.

We demand all papers on the table, not under it.

But until we have that, we will do what we can with the leaks. Thank you, everybody who has contributed!

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Previous articles on ACTA

Andra skriver om ACTA-läckan: Xorbot, Techrisk, Fajaf, Soso, Scaber Nestor, Den nya medborgarrättsrörelsen, Intensifier, Terobi, Kryptoblog

Andra bloggar om: piratpartiet, eu, politik, informationspolitik

Avgå, Ask!

Tant Gredelin och Farbror Blå tar med en misstänkt till stationen för att kissa

Vi kan för sjutton inte ha en justitieminister som på allvar föreslår att misstänkta ska skämmas ut utan dom, eller att barn ska få tvingas lämna kissprov utan föräldrarnas vetskap.

Zac föreslår att vi ska protestera med en lila titel på våra bloggar. Det tycker jag är en bra idé.

Vi måste visa att det finns några som tar ansvar och står upp för rättsstatens principer.

Beatrice Ask måste avgå omedelbart.

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Andra som skriver om justititeministern: Piratpartiet, Lars-Erick Forsgren, Opassande, Fetsmart, Helena Bergman, PeoWagstrom, Sven Tycker, Enligt min humla, Lake, Satmaran, Nemokrati, Scaber Nestor, Högberg, Hax, Thomas Tvivlaren, Peter Lindén, Rasmus Lenefors, Thomas Bodström, Piece of Mind, HBT-sossen, Pezster Whatsupsthlm, SvD Ledarredaktionen, Yami och pandorna, Makt & Media, Hax, Tango för enbenta, Rick Falkvinge (PP), Den nya medborgarrättsrörelsen, Scaber Nestor, Det perfekta livet, Per pladdrar på, Pezster Whatsupsthlm, Staffan B, Opinionsbloggen, Svensk Myndighetskontroll, Sagor från livbåten, Äntligen måndag, Politikken, Anna Troberg (PP), Anna Troberg (PP), Fria Tidningen, Expressen, Sydsvenskan, Nyheterna, TV4, SR Ekot, Aftonbladet, Nyheter 24, Nyheter 24, DN, Lisa Magnusson, Kristdemokraten, Sanna Rayman, Sanna Rayman, Nyheter 24, Kvällsposten, Aftonbladet, UNT, och många andra

Uppdatering: Och faktiskt en tidningsledare som försvarar Ask också. Anna Troberg (PP) svarar.

Andra bloggar om: piratpartiet, eu, politik, rättssamhället

EU Commission disregarding the Parliament’s ACTA resolution

YouTube clips of the meeting (10 parts)

On March 10 the European Parliament adopted a resolution with an overwhelming majority asking the Commission to limit ACTA negotiations to counterfeiting only. This would mean concentrating on falsified physical goods, which we pirates agree is a real problem that should be combated.

Goods counterfeiting is a bad thing, but it is not the same as for example file-sharing on the Internet, which is a completely different issue.

The wording of the paragraph in question leaves no room for misunderstandings:

”9. Calls on the Commission to continue the negotiations on ACTA and limit them to the existing European IPR enforcement system against counterfeiting;”

But evidently this was not clear enough for the Commission. Today, at a ”stakeholder’s meeting” organized by the Commission on ACTA, the Commission surprisingly claimed that this is not the stance of the Parliament.

Swedish Pirate Johannes Schönning gives a detailed account of the meeting (partly in Swedish, partly in English). Euractiv also reports.

The Head of Unit of DG Trade of the Commission, Luc Devigne, dodged three (3) questions on the issue at the stakeholder meeting, refusing to acknowledge EP’s crystal-clear stance.

After the meeting in a newspaper interview (in Swedish), he went on to claim explicitly that ”The resolution makes statements on both counterfeiting and piracy in the digital world. We consider it to mean Parliament want us to negotiate further on both.”

I think the Commission´s behaviour is an astonishing display of institutional arrogance. It is one thing not to comply with the Parliament, but these kind of claims deliberately misunderstanding the Parliament are utterly ridiculous.

The resolution by the Parliament was as clear as it can be. Can’t they read?

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Previous articles on ACTA

Andra skriver om ACTA: Johannes Schönning, Hax, Per Pettersson, Terobi, Terobi, Svensson, Opassande

Andra bloggar om: piratpartiet, eu, politik, informationspolitik

Du piskar fel, Reinfeldt!

Fredrik Reinfeldt (M), riksdagskandidat 2010

Statsminister Reinfeldt tycker att partipiskan är viktig.

Det må han ha rätt i. Men han anänder piskan fel.

Partipiskan ska vara en belöning för att den folkvalda ledamoten har stått upp för det som han eller hon lovade i valrörelsen.

Inte en bestraffning som drabbar riksdagsmän som vill rösta ja till det de blev valda på, och nej till frihetskränkande förslag som FRA, Ipred och datalagringsdirektivet.

Gå en kurs hos vår riksdagskandidat Carl Johan Rehbinder, så kan han förklara hur man ska göra, Fredrik Reinfeldt!

Du är inne på fel spår just nu.

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Andra bloggar om: piratpartiet, eu, politik, informationspolitik

Snattat ur chatten

Jag sitter och läser backlog i en av Piratpartiets chattar, och kan bara inte låta bli att vidareförmedla det här citatet:

Det där med representativ demokrati verkar vara lika populärt hos statsministern som oskyldighetspresumtionen är hos Justitieministern…

Om exakt sex månader är det dagen efter riksdagsvalet, och vi vet resultatet.

Se till att Piratpartiet finns med i det resultatet.

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Andra bloggar om: piratpartiet, eu, politik, informationspolitik

Årsmöte med stök i Piratpartiet

Läs mer hos Europaportalen

Den 12 — 25 april håller Piratpartiet årsmöte i forumet.

Valberedningen har lagt ett förslag till styrelse där jag inte finns med, men jag har deklarerat att jag står till förfogande för omval som styrelseledamot.

Årsmötet avgör hur det blir.

Läs mer om den interna konflikten i Piratpartiet hos Europaportalen, som har en utförlig artikel.

Och rösta på årsmötet den 12 — 25 april.

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Andra bloggar om: piratpartiet, eu, politik, informationspolitik

What does ”No absolute openness on ACTA” mean?

"No absolute openness on ACTA," says Commissioner Neelie Kroes

”No absolute openness on ACTA,” says Commissioner Neelie Kroes in an article in Dutch. If this is indeed the official position of the Commission, it is very alarming.

Article 218 of the Lisbon Treaty (TFEU) says that when it comes to international negotiations,

10. The European Parliament shall be immediately and fully informed at all stages of the procedure.

What part of that sentence does the Commission find hard to understand?

The Commission needs to clarify if it really intends to completely disregard  the resolution adopted by a nearly unanimous Parliament last week.

Together with eight other members of the Green Group in the European Parliament, I have co-signed a written question to the Commission (pdf):

Statements by vice-President Neelie Kroes of the Commission concerning the negotiations on the ACTA agreement

In a Dutch newspaper interview the vice-President of the Commission and Commissioner for the Digital Agenda Neelie Kroes stated that the European Commission should not give response to the demand of Parliament for full transparency and openness concerning the negotiations on the ACTA agreement.

• Does the Commission concur with the statement, rendered by her vice-President, not to give response to Parliament’s demand of full transparency and openness concerning the negotiations on the ACTA agreement?
• Does the Commission concur with the view, of her vice-President, that certain information should remain undisclosed for Parliament?
• Is the Commission aware of the fact that the aforementioned statement de facto implies that the Commission has to set aside its statutory obligation to inform Parliament fully, immediately and at all times, as promulgated in article 218 paragraph 10 TFEU?
• Is the Commission furthermore aware that the aforementioned statement is in clear contradiction with the joint resolution ”on the transparency and state of play of the ACTA negotiations” adopted almost unanimously by Parliament.
• Will the Commission issue a statement indicating its stance on transparency and openness relating to its (future) conduct in regard to the negotiations on the ACTA agreement? And if so, will this imply that the earlier differing opinions and statements rendered by her Commissioners should be considered as revoked?

These are very sharp questions, and they are meant to be. It will be very interesting to see what the Commission answers.

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Previous articles on ACTA

Andra bloggar om: piratpartiet, eu, politik, informationspolitik

Om sex månader…

Läs mer hos Hax

Imorgon är det precis sex månader till riksdagsvalet den 19 september. Alla val till riksdagen är förstås viktiga, men frågan är om det inte är extra viktigt just i år.

Henrik Alexandersson skriver om varför under rubriken Ödesvalet 2010.

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Uppdatering: Carl Johan Rehbinder skriver också om varför Piratpartiet behövs i riksdagen.

Andra bloggar om: piratpartiet, eu, politik, informationspolitik

No ACTA transparency from Spain

Spanish Secretary of State Diego López Garrido (middle) giving answers

The Spanish Secretary of State to the EU, Mr. Diego López Garrido, just visited us in IMCO, the European Parliament’s committee for consumer protection and the internal market.

He talked for about half an hour in very general terms: ”The 2020 Strategy is the key to developing the internal market. The 2020 Strategy and the EU Structural Funds are the two most powerful tools that the EU has,” etcetera.

Many words, little content.

But he also mentioned the ACTA agreement, and more specifically the resolution that the European Parliament passed with and overwhelming majority last week.

”The Council wants to combat counterfeiting and piracy, through the ACTA agreement,” said the Spanish Secretary of State. ”The resolution highlights transparency and the role of the European Parliament. We will have to take the resolution into account, as well as the position of other countries.”

After his introductory speech, the members of the committee got a chance to ask questions. About half a dozen of us did so, including me.

Since he had mentioned ACTA and the resolution, I asked him what concrete actions the Spanish Presidency is planning, to ensure that the European Parliament gets access to all the relevant documents as quickly as possible.

First Mr. Lopez answered everybody’s questions except mine, which he conveniently forgot. It was only after the chairman of the committee reminded him, that he presented an answer at all.

He said that the Spanish presidency was in talks with the European Parliament to amend the Access to Documents Regulations, and would continue to participate in the inter-institutional talks on this matter. He was hoping that this would lead to an amended regulation some time in May.

And that was it.

On the actual access to the ACTA documents, the Spanish Secretary of State said nothing at all.

That the general regulation on access to documents will have to be amended now that the Lisbon Treaty has come into force is one thing, but that was not what I had asked him about.

But I saw no point in repeating the question once more (after the committee chairman had already done so once). I believe that this is in fact the true answer to what the Spanish Presidency will do to comply with the European Parliament’s demand for transparency on ACTA:

Absolutely nothing.

I am of course very grateful to the Spanish Secretary of State for his very frank (non-)answer. At least we know where we stand now.

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Previous articles on ACTA

Andra bloggar om: piratpartiet, eu, politik, informationspolitik

The Internet according to BBC

The BBC is running this commercial for an upcoming series now:

We are the People of the Internet

I think they are right. This is how I too feel about the net.

Found via Hax and Lake.

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Andra bloggar om: piratpartiet, eu, politik, informationspolitik