[LINK] "Free Trade" Agreement (was: SCO's Congressional Letter)

[Craig Sanders]

On Fri, Jan 23, 2004 at 03:03:37PM +1100, Chris Maltby wrote:
> "Harmonization" of Australian IP law with the US is indeed one of the key
> parts of the US requirments for the proposed FTA. They mean to change
> Australian law, not the other way around. The fact that it has received
> almost zero coverage in Australia means that our brown-nosed government is
> prepared to comply.
> 
> Be afraid...

don't just be afraid, be vocal.

register your opposition to the FTA at:

http://www.nofta.org/

they intend to present a petition to Howard on 31 Jan.  they have an online
petition/vote and a downloadable PDF postcard that you can print out and mail
in.



one of the scariest things about the FTA is that there is almost no public
debate about it - at least, not in the media.  any news story about it, even on
the ABC, starts off with the presumption that the FTA is a good thing and that
we want it.  the stories are all, with one exception, about the "danger" that
it might not get passed by the US Congress because of sugar farmers in Florida
or whatever the current anti-FTA menace is.

the one exception is, of course, the effect that the FTA will have on
Australian media, particularly television and film-making...and even that was
paid lip-service to, then quietly disappeared off the agenda.


craig