civilisationReview

The European Parliament will make its final decision on Acta in July. If it passes, work to bring the agreement into force across the EU will continue. For the agreement to be made EU law, all member states would need to give their backing. If the European Parliament votes to reject Acta, the treaty will be scrapped entirely. While the agreement covers the counterfeiting of physical items, such as pharmaceuticals, it is the measures relating to pirated material on the internet that have caused most concern among campaigners. The agreement suggests setting international standards over how copyright infringements are dealt with. Possible measures include possible imprisonment and fines. - bbc If you think about it, this is a battle between pirates and counterfeiters. Both the corporational and non-corporational pirates are attempting to protect their right to counterfeit for the sake of profit for themselves. If we don't begin to question after the justifiable amount that might be ...

Software piracy cost the industry a record $63.4 billion globally in 2011 with emerging economies listed as the main culprits, an annual study said Tuesday. This was up nearly 8% from the previous record of $58.8 billion in 2010, the Business Software Alliance (BSA) said in the study. In the Asia Pacific, which comprises several emerging economies including China, bootleg software usage also cost the industry an all-time high of $21 billion last year, up 12% from 2010, BSA said. - source I don't see what the fuss is about. Once the people are adequately skilled, the Corporation will be able to come in and quickly make money out of the people who have been educated and developed by means, piratical or otherwise. Software 'piracy', for instance, in the ‘3rd world’, is like charity - it prepares and develops the people there for later exploitation by the corporation.  Once the people are adequately skilled, and PC-literate, the Corporation will be able to come in and quickly...

ed's comment on youtube: Well, even legal DVDs are copies aren't they. So should we support the producers who are making billions from copies of movies or Lovefilm who want a share of these billions. The question at the end of the day ought to be if corporations, 'stars', etc, should be allowed to make this much money from copies. Perhaps the answer to this question might go some way in determining whom the real pirates are. Failing to answer this might simply serve to grant particular sectors the exclusive rights to piracy. ed