US/Canada get together to infringe everyone's rights.
I was very dismayed to read this article. Looks like I won't be taking any electronic devices with me when I travel overseas. Call your congressmen, senators or if you're in the Great White North, whatever passes for congressmen and senators.
Canadian Politicians Negotiate to Join ACTA, Will Criminalize CD Copies, iPods at Border Crossings
Highlights from the article, for those who are too lazy to click...
"The new act was known in some circles as a "Pirate Bay killer", referring to the Swedish torrent site The Pirate Bay, as the new act criminalized nonprofit "facilitation of copyright infringement". However, the bill also included provisions which would make many commonly used privacy tools illegal and would demand that ISPs provide the government with complete user histories."
" Additional ramifications of the deal of interest to American and Canadian citizens are the new restrictions on travel. The new act will make border agents essentially "copyright regulators". They will be authorized under current provisions to search those crossing for illegal copyright materials. Laptops, iPods and even cellular phones are among the devices that would be searched for illegal content...It would be at the discretion of the border agents to determine what infringement is and what isn't."
" For some users the new act may be "bye bye" to their iPod or laptop. Under the new act the border agents could destroy any devices found to hold copyright content that is deemed infringed."
"And don't plan on having a lawyer present; the act includes 'authority to order ex parte searches' (searches without a lawyer present) and 'and other preliminary measures'."
Hopefully, the Supreme Court will smack this one down. Unfortunately, someone will have to challenge it first.
Canadian Politicians Negotiate to Join ACTA, Will Criminalize CD Copies, iPods at Border Crossings
Highlights from the article, for those who are too lazy to click...
"The new act was known in some circles as a "Pirate Bay killer", referring to the Swedish torrent site The Pirate Bay, as the new act criminalized nonprofit "facilitation of copyright infringement". However, the bill also included provisions which would make many commonly used privacy tools illegal and would demand that ISPs provide the government with complete user histories."
" Additional ramifications of the deal of interest to American and Canadian citizens are the new restrictions on travel. The new act will make border agents essentially "copyright regulators". They will be authorized under current provisions to search those crossing for illegal copyright materials. Laptops, iPods and even cellular phones are among the devices that would be searched for illegal content...It would be at the discretion of the border agents to determine what infringement is and what isn't."
" For some users the new act may be "bye bye" to their iPod or laptop. Under the new act the border agents could destroy any devices found to hold copyright content that is deemed infringed."
"And don't plan on having a lawyer present; the act includes 'authority to order ex parte searches' (searches without a lawyer present) and 'and other preliminary measures'."
Hopefully, the Supreme Court will smack this one down. Unfortunately, someone will have to challenge it first.