FSF says: Take a stand with us for freedom, against ACTA

Hi Sluggers,

I hope you don't mind a fwd from the FSF but this message has profound 
implications for Australians as the Copyfight Nazies of the world
consistently push to criminalise FOSS. Australia is one of the 40
countries that is involved in the ACTA treaty. Our FOSS freedoms need
to be defended or they'll disappear.

Meryl

<snip>
FSF says: Take a stand with us for freedom, against ACTA

http://www.fsf.org/campaigns/acta/why-acta-declaration
http://www.fsf.org/campaigns/acta/acta-declaration

BOSTON, Massachusetts, USA -- Wednesday, June 16, 2010 -- The Free
Software Foundation (FSF) today published a new declaration calling for
rejection of ACTA unless key changes to protect the public's freedom are
made, and is asking people around the world to add their names in
support before the next round of negotiations on the treaty happen in
Switzerland at the end of this month.

In an article introducing the declaration, FSF president Richard
Stallman says, "ACTA threatens, in a disguised way, to punish Internet
users with disconnection if they are accused of sharing, and requires
countries to prohibit software that can break Digital Restrictions
Management (DRM), also known as digital handcuffs."

The FSF statement praises the aim of an earlier effort, the Wellington
Declaration published by citizens in New Zealand to condemn ACTA's
prohibition of devices that can break digital handcuffs, but takes a
firmer stance.

Stallman explains the need to go further as, "When we oppose ACTA, we
are not asking our governments for a favor. Defending our freedom is
their reason for being, and we demand it by right. We should not
'compromise' by volunteering to cede some of our freedom so that they
have less to do."

FSF's operations manager John Sullivan added, "Now that some details of
ACTA have been made public, we know that our previous concerns were
justified. We are asking the free software community to join us in
speaking out against this attack on the public's freedom, and I hope
that people will not only sign the statement, but also write and publish
their own specific thoughts about the issues. This is a time for people
to show -- in as many ways as possible -- that they value the freedoms
ACTA threatens. The more signatures and visible support we have, the
weaker ACTA will look."

The petition is available for signing at
http://www.fsf.org/campaigns/acta/acta-declaration, and Stallman's
article explaining the background behind it is at
http://www.fsf.org/campaigns/acta/why-acta-declaration.
</snip>
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