http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2012/01/internet-awash-in-inaccurate-anti-acta-arguments.ars?comments=1#comments-bar

So, I’ve been ranting about ACTA for a few weeks or so now, but this article really put everything into context (arstechnica is, once again, fantastic).

ACTA isn’t nearly as bad as Anonymous’ youtube video on it made it seem. And it’s been hard to find good information on the treaty, since it really only came into mainstream lights after the SOPA fiasco. It seems that in the haste of trying to inform people that something like ACTA exists, the actual content of ACTA was undermined.

This isn’t to say that I approve of the treaty at all. The restrictions it would put on the ability for poorer nations to obtain and use copyright products, and the exporting of DMCA-style copyright enforcement globally is a terrible idea. Also, the fact that most of the debates over the content of the treaty, and the actual signing of it, happened behind closed doors and weren’t subject to any democratic disclosure or procedure is horrifying. It sets a terrible precedent for other treaties of this sort.

But all in all, the treaty isn’t nearly a s bad as it’s touted to be. It should still be stopped, somehow, and the ideology that structures it should be abondoned as far as I’m concerned, but in fighting the treaty we should be using actual facts and problems in the bill instead of strawmen arguments. Because if we rely on those sort of arguments, we won’t get anywhere in preventing the effects of this treaty.

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