Appletell

The World Trade Organization and members of the G8 are working on new regulations that would instate an international Copyright Police.  The tasks of that force would include many things, but there are two main purposes.  the first would be to monitor Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to sniff out any pirate’s.  The second purpose would be to monitor international borders and customs installments to possibly search and seize your iPod, iPhone, computer, or any other electronic device with pirated music.  Andy Space for 9 to 5 Mac reports the following:

Nations including Canada, the US and various European states (including the UK, which sits on the G8) are secretly agreeing a new pan-global state police deal in which information held on iPods and other devices could be subject to investigation by customs officials tasked with a new role, as copyright police.  Dubbed the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), signatory nations will form an international coalition against copyright infringement.

And to pour some salt into the wounds, the investigator of said devices has complete discretion on whether any music on it is infringing any copyrights, and has the authority to do anything from heavy fines to a total seizure of the device.  And here’s the doozy- the investigator doesn’t even have to tell you why he applies said punishment to said crime.  Everything in this proposal seems like the brass is taking a “Stalinist” approach to the war against pirates, and everything seems a bit extreme, from the unwarranted searches and seizures to having Big Brother looking over your shoulder while you’re on the internet.  I think that there are certain steps to preventing copyright infringement that are much less harsh, in some ways more effective, and not in the G8’s proposal’s.  Wouldn’t that ruin your trip top France is some random customs officer thinks that any of your music on your iPhone was obtained illegally and seizes it and sbsequently destroys it without explanation or warrant?  That would sure tick me off. 

Originally, these restrictions were being written up in secret, but certain US privacy groups implemented the Freedom of Information Act after getting wind of the proceedings. 

Via [The Ottawa Citizen]

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