Invitation to media - ACTA Negociations - consumers demand transparency

MONTREAL , Jan. 25 /CNW Telbec/ -

    
    What:          International Web News Conference

    When:          January 26 2010 at 9:30 AM - EST (GMT 2:30PM)

    Where:         URL: http://tiny.cc/pou8W
                   Enter your name and email address

                   Password: transparency

    or by phone :  [phone] Access code: 801 431 861
    

The Webconference will be recorded and available online afterward on Union des consommateurs' web site.

USA, European Union, Australia , Canada , Japan , Mexico , Morocco , New-Zeland and the United Arab Emirates are secretly negociatiating the Anti-Conterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) wich could have dramatic consequences for consumers - introducing new criminal sanctions for copyright infringements, including sanctions for certain uses of the Internet that previously were not criminalized, making it easier for their ISPs to give up their personal data to copyright owners, giving them the right to terminate their clients' Internet connections, authorizing border guards to search and seize laptops or MP3 players if suspected of containing copyright-infringing files, and more...

While governments are attending a new round of negociations in Mexico , organizations from many countries invite media to an International Web News Conference to raise public awarness about ACTA and it's impacts on access to knowledge, privacy and fundamental rights. Groups ask minimaly for transparency.

More info about ACTA: http://a2knetwork.org/fr/acta-resource-page-including-joint-declaration

Attendees to the Web Conference, amongs others :

    
    Rashmi Rangnath- Public Knowledge (USA)
    Michael Geist- Ottawa University (Canada)
    Jeremy Malcolm- Access to Knowledge (A2K) Consumers International
    David Fewer- Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic (CIPPIC)
    (Canada)
    Dominique Peschard- Ligue des droits et libertés (Québec)
    James Love- Knowledge Ecology International (USA)
    Jon Newton- P2Pnet et A2f2a (Canada)
    Jeremy Zimmerman- La quadrature du Net (France)
    Olivier Charbonneau- Association pour l'Avancement des sciences et des
    techniques de la documentation (ASTED) et Corp. des bibliothécaires
    professionnels du Qc (CPBQ) (Québec)
    Anthony Hémond- Union des consommateurs (Québec)
    

For further information: Charles Tanguay, Union des consommateurs, [phone], [phone]