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Poles Take anti-ACTA Protests to the Streets

Thousands of people have joined anti-ACTA protests all across Poland this week.

At TorrentFreak we first mentioned the controversial trade agreement early 2008, and nearly 4 years later it is coming dangerously close to passing.

Although the text of the legislation has been toned down somewhat, it still poses a threat to the Internet and the privacy of its users.

To prevent their Government from signing the treaty tens of thousands of people are protesting in Poland this week.

Large groups of people gathered in Krakow, at the European Parliament in Warsaw, and at the house of the Polish Prime Minister Tusk in Sopot.

Thus far, however, it doesn’t look like the Government is about to change its pro-ACTA position.

“We must sign ACTA and not give in to blackmail,” the prime minister said, commenting on the demands of protesters, and specifically to threats made by Anonymous.

Although most of the protests are peaceful, online activists also responded by taking down several Government websites and hacking the site of the Prime Minister.

The resistance against ACTA is not limited to Poland. In countries all over the world people have been speaking out against ACTA this recent week, and these protests are expected to intensify in the coming weeks.

This post is from the News Bits section of TorrentFreak where we present stories from around the web in a concise summary format. Full TorrentFreak articles can be found here. If you have a tip please let us know. News Bits have their very own RSS feed
  • Pan Zag?oba

    “We must sign ACTA and not give in to blackmail,” the prime minister said, commenting on the demands of protesters.

    Very bold statement thrown to the face of the voters….

    • Anonymous

      I suspect that signing ACTA WILL be giving into “blackmail”

      The fact that they refer to a protest as blackmail suggests they have forgotten WHO they serve their supposed to serve.

    • http://twitter.com/icanhazsake Ninja

      Now legit protests from the ppl showing concern about bad agreements and laws is blackmail. Well, Mr Dodd was blackmailed like crazy ;D

      Since blackmail is illegal, why doesn’t Poland put their entire population behind bars?

    • STUPID-PM

      Hes not getting re-elected

    • Zbig

      He was refering to Anonymous “secret/damaging info if they sign the agreement”.

    • Guest

      Fight ACTA:

      USA:

      https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/petitions#!/petition/end-acta-and-protect-our-right-privacy-internet/MwfSVNBK
      http://www.change.org/petitions/oppose-acta#

      EU:

      http://edri.org/stopacta

      UK:

      http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/20685

      Belgium:

      http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/belgiumagainstacta/

      United Nations (directly)

      http://www.petitiononline.com/stopacta/petition.html

      Canada:

      http://www.petitiononline.com/actanono/petition.html

      Region: GLOBAL

      http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/stop-sopa-pipa-acta.html

      STOP USA OWNING THE WORLD

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzS5rSvZXe8&feature=channel_video_title
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJIuYgIvKsc&feature=related

      Quote below is from torrentfreak.com

      http://torrentfreak.com/megaupload-founder-again-denied-bail-high-court-appeal-launched-120125/#comment-420781473

      Ok, the guy is annoying. But I gotta admit he convinces me.

      We all now the movie industries were in it for the long haul but WOW!
      This is a ten year timeline of manipulation by the studios; to engineer a generation of pirates, to manipulate and grow a market, to be able to manipulate copyright legislation to make it watertight, to manipulate governments so convincing them of the necessity to make it impossible for anyone to copy anything, ever again.

      I would go one step beyond what he is saying. I would go so far as to say SOPA and PIPA were a smoke screen, a rouse to deflect interest from the ACTA pact. With ACTA in place it would be illegal to own or share music that is not DRM protected; it would be illegal to make backup archives of your music or movies. Anyone in possession of these, say on an MP4 player found at a search at an airport check in, would be liable to imprisonment.

      I tend to believe that the conspiracy between the studios and the governments is complete. SOPA and PIPA where a broadsword, visible dangerous, something everyone wanted to avoid at all costs…but ACTA is the stilletto, the killing, almost invisible threat, which will ultimately kill ALL sharing and ALL copying with measures so TOTAL, it will make everybody’s head spin.

      As a final thought, the implications I have outlined above are not an exaggeration. We all know how massive the consequences the laws are with regard copyright infringement.

      I would go so far as to predict that in 5 years time, if ACTA passes, possession of ONE copy of a proven copyrighted work will get you the same sentence as being in possession of 10 kilos of heroin.

      In addition to the quote above I would add this:

      ACTA will make it illegal to publish information on how to strip DRM or remove protection from any medium.
      ACTA will completely, as it is written, negate ANY Fair Use policy. Nobody will be allowed to possess, make, or take possession of, a copy of a copyrighted work.
      ACTA will make discussion (websites) of how to circumvent copyright protection a criminal offence.
      ACTA will make it a criminal offence to own, possess or distribute softare capable of breaking DRM or capable of circumventing protection on any medium
      ACTA will make it a criminal offence to supply (even for free) a copy of anything.

      Thank you for reading. Act now.

      • Cleandump

        8,200people have signed the UK petition in just a few hours!

        • Mwhahaha

          8,200 ‘blackmailers’ I assume you mean…

  • Egržvýd Chálobodor

    Not agreeing = blackmail.

    • Mr. Putin

      No, he is refering to; http://rt.com/news/acta-poland-internet-government-745/

      Watch the video… Anonymous has blackmailed them – they’ll release secret/damaging info if they sign the agreement.

      • Mr. Putin

        sorry about duplicate post, error with torrentfreak

      • Anonymous

        Clarified that

    • Mr. Putin

      No, he is refering to; http://rt.com/news/acta-poland-internet-government-745/

      Watch the video… Anonymous has blackmailed them – they’ll release secret/damaging info if they sign the agreement.

      P.S: It’s built up to 40K protesters since it was reported.

  • Anonymous

    Politicians need to remember that they are representatives of the people. If they fail to serve the people and its needs and desires they can, should and will be removed from office – violently, if necessary.

  • Guest

    What worries me the most is that the Polish media only picked up the story after the guys took town the parliament’s web server. A bit late, wasn’t it?

  • Robin K120a

    You Monsters! have you any idea what you will do, you will run the econamy right down to hell, thoes freaking retards, how are we taking this lying down, dammit FIGHT! IF I WERE THE US I WOULD PROTEST AND START A DAMM RIOT!

  • http://twitter.com/sado01 sado

    House of Donald Tusk is placed in Sopot, not in Kraków. In Kraków there was a big manifestation. They would need to walk through entire country to get to his house :) Also, the statement “We must sign ACTA and not give in to blackmail” was taken out of context (the context: Anonymous, who DDOSed Polish govt sites, threatened to release personal data of minister Boni and to DDOS moar, if Polish govt signs the ACTA… that could be called “blackmail”). Not blaming you too much though – many things get lost through translation, and I saw many Polish sources giving this quote without context as well, so I see why you wrote it. Also the sources say that this was the biggest youth manifestiation here since the collapse of the Communism in Poland – and I was proud to be a part of it :)

    • Anonymous

      corrected

  • ZiggySig

    It seems, that Piraty Party in Poland should be ready to enter parliament :).

    • http://twitter.com/sado01 sado

      Unfortunately, Polish Pirate Party had been discontinued a year ago, too few people willing to offer their free time for it ;(

  • Mr. Putin

    “Although the text of the legislation has been toned down somewhat, it still poses a treat to the Internet and the privacy of its users.”

    I keep hearing many people saying that sentance. I’m interested in finding what the current toned down version does. Since people keep refering back to the first ACTA mockup.

    What have they removed for it to be ‘toned’ down?

  • http://twitter.com/icanhazsake Ninja

    Polish Govt is a joke, it seems. The blackmail statement would be damn hilarious if it wasn’t tragic. At least Poland scored a pretty nice win by going and protesting. Kudos!

    • Anonymous

      What government isn’t a bad joke?

      “Every decent man is ashamed of the government he lives under. [...] Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin to slit throats.” — H.L. Mencken

      • Guest

        “Every decent man is ashamed of the government he lives under. [...] Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin to slit throats.” — H.L. Mencken

        I know I am.

  • Yaten

    Polish Pirate Party wasn’t popular, because Polish copyright law wasn’t much of a problem, and what there was of it, practically wasn’t enforced. So there was nothing to be active for. ACTA could change it, and this sparked the protests.

  • Uriel

    Please take note the administrator’s credentials revealed by the hackers:
    login: admin
    password: admin1
    We’re talking Prime Minister’s official webpage here.

  • Captain Buzzoverinthehead DFC

    “…it still poses a treat to the Internet…”

    Apologies for being picky, but I suspect that should be “threat” rather than “treat”.

    • Anonymous

      Some would consider it to be a treat :)

  • Konrad M.

    This government has done much worse and more harmful things than supporting ACTA (such as essentially giving away our energy sovereignty in favor of Russia in a move so bold that it was actually blocked by the European Commission – isn’t it quite weird when the EU cares about the independence of its member state more than this member state’s own government does?), and it still wouldn’t hurt its enormous popularity, exceeding 50% on occassions. A phenomenon I find hard to understand.

  • Anonymous

    When will the Sheeple learn that silly protests are useless?
    vpn-privacy.tk

    • Guest

      You are right about that. NOT RIGHT ABOUT SPAMMING flagged

  • townie2

    the rest of the World could learn from the Polish people. yes, everyone could get a VPN, but we shouldn’t have to, it’s a matter of freedom and principle.

    • Guest

      Aye, we should all march. Now, when is good date for everybody?

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  • Mwhahaha

    Can this be moved to the main bit of TF please so more people can see the petition links? Newbits always get less viewers if the comment counts are anything to go by.

    Ta.

    UK Petition at just under 9k now

    UK: http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/20685

  • Anonymous

    Dude, I never even thought about it liek that before.
    vpn-privacy.tk

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  • Wbb

    I am Polish,thank anonymous and the rest of friends for other countries -for the help!

  • Mainul Maksud

    Politicians must remember that they are the representatives of the people. If they fail to serve accordingly, the country is subject to collapse partially or as a whole.

    http://mathema-tricks.blogspot.com/

  • 1985206wxd

    just ok,i know it.maybe you can look at http://www.wendycellphone.com

  • Pingback: Polish Protests Put ACTA ‘On Hold’ | TorrentFreak

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  • http://www.facebook.com/sotiri.dimpinoudis Sotiri Dimpinoudis

    Te website of the polisg gorment is just been attacked!

    http://premier.gov.pl/

  • Pingback: Massive Street Protests Wage War On ACTA Anti-Piracy Treaty | We R Pirates

  • Pingback: Massive Street Protests Wage War On ACTA Anti-Piracy Treaty | TorrentFreak

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