Adding Up the Explanations For ACTA's "Shameful Secret" 165
Several sources are reporting on a Google event this week that attempted to bring some transparency to the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) that has so far been treated like a "shameful secret." Unfortunately, not many concrete details were uncovered, so Ars tried to lay out why there has been so much secrecy, especially from an administration that has been preaching transparency. "The reason for that was obvious: there's little of substance that's known about the treaty, and those lawyers in the room and on the panel who had seen one small part of it were under a nondisclosure agreement. In most contexts, the lack of any hard information might lead to a discussion of mind-numbing generality and irrelevance, but this transparency talk was quite fascinating—in large part because one of the most influential copyright lobbyists in Washington was on the panel attempting to make his case. [...] [MPAA/RIAA Champion Steven] Metalitz took on three other panelists and a moderator, all of whom were less than sympathetic to his positions, and he made the lengthiest case for both ACTA and its secrecy that we have ever heard. It was also surprisingly unconvincing."
Metalitz (Score:4, Funny)
Re:I disagree (Score:5, Funny)
No, this is like telling drinkers that they cannot use a device that duplicates the beverage to give to their friends.
For most American beers, this process is referred to as "pissing."
Re:I still don't see... (Score:4, Funny)
I'm sure at some point the RIAA/MPAA will tell us that it will compromise national security if they tell what's being negotiated. After that, they will claim it's to protect children, because a lot of kiddy porn is exchanged at these secret meetings.