Just in case anyone missed this on the other lists ;) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Mark Foster <blakjak(a)blakjak.net> Date: 11 April 2010 22:01 Subject: [nzlug] Cross-Post: PublicACTA Outputs: Wellington Declaration & Petition To: nzlug(a)linux.net.nz, aucklug(a)linux.net.nz Cc: nzlug-announce(a)linux.net.nz Greetings everyone, and apologies for the cross-post. This issue bears some publicity! The Wellington Declaration generated by the folks who attended the PublicACTA event this weekend in Wellington, is something I believe we LUG'rs should be getting behind. Refer the following: http://publicacta.org.nz/wellington-declaration/ http://publicacta.org.nz/sign-the-wellington-declaration/ If you support the statements made in the URL above - and really, I'd be surprised if you don't - please sign the electronic petition at this URL: http://www.gopetition.com/online/35443.html All signatures added before Tuesday morning NZ Time will be appended to the Declaration when it is communicated to the NZ Government negotiators, who (it is hoped) will circulate it to all the ACTA delegations. Background: ACTA (the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement or ACTA) is a controversial international treaty being negotiated in a series of secret meetings. ACTA is proposed as a plurilateral trade agreement for establishing international standards on intellectual property rights enforcement. It is being negotiated between the US, Canada, Japan, the European Union, South Korea, Mexico, Switzerland, Australia and New Zealand. Unfortunately, the negotiations have extended beyond trade and physical counterfeiting to potentially cover non-commercial infringement of copyright material by ordinary citizens and issues of digital rights management. PublicACTA was organised by InternetNZ to give the public opportunity to critique the known and likely content of ACTA proposals. Several issues abound in ACTA; the scope of the agreement is much wider than simply an agreement around trade, and the ramifications should it come into force will be dire for New Zealanders. The NZOSS, which many of you will know of and know that I am also involved with, have taken their stance regarding ACTA to the Government: http://nzoss.org.nz/news/2010/nzoss-submission-acta Please be aware of ACTA, and if you support the position being taken by InternetNZ, NZOSS and many, many other groups and NGOs both in NZ and worldwide, show your support. Cheers Mark Foster Administrator - NZLUG, AuckLUG _______________________________________________ NZLUG mailing list NZLUG(a)linux.net.nz http://www.linux.net.nz/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/nzlug -- Disclaimer: By sending an email to any of my addresses you are agreeing that: 1. I am by definition, "the intended recipient" 2. All information in the email is mine to do with as I see fit and make such financial profit, political mileage, or good joke as it lends itself to. 3. I may take the contents as representing the views of your company. 4. This overrides any disclaimer or statement of confidentiality that may be included on your message.