Muscat: Gonzi should have halted ACTA ratification
Joseph Muscat said today that the prime minister should have halted the ratification of ACTA, as other countries had done.
Referring to Dr Gonzi's statement yesterday afternoon, Dr Gonzi said that was a statement of convenience, not conviction. He had rushed into signing ACTA behind everybody's back. The socialist and liberal MEPs had been consistently against ACTA in the European Parliament, while the Popular Party, of which the PN formed part, was in favour.
The least that Dr Gonzi could have done yesterday, Dr Muscat said, was to halt ratification, as other countries had done.
But Dr Gonzi had decided that the agreement should stay - effectively ignoring the protest of the morning. He however spoke yesterday of a new law on new civil rights on access to the Internet.
One had to see what Bill the government would come up with, and whether he would have a majority in parliament to make it law, Dr Muscat said.
Dr Gonzi was the least one to speak on civil rights - one only needed to remember the divorce debate where he even voted against divorce in parliament after the people voted in favour in a referendum.
If ACTA was approved by the European Parliament and came for ratification before the Maltese parliament, the Labour Opposition would vote against, Dr Muscat insisted.
In his address, Dr Muscat said Malta was experiencing a situation where GonziPN was trying to persuade the people that the political situation was normal.
But the situation was far from normal. The country was in crisis and it needed firm leadership, Dr Muscat said.
The prime minister was clinging to power and trying to stretch his time in office as far as possible while permits were issued, promotions were given and taxes reduced.
The government was also showing itself to be always in reactive mode, the latest example being Dr Gonzi's statement in reaction to the Acta protest. The government had also been late, and had to react, over assaults on gay couples. Dr Gonzi eventually said the government would legislate on hate crimes.
Dr Muscat said that in order to achieve stability, the prime minister needed to ensure that parliamentary business was carried out normally and votes were not delayed, as was happening now. Alternatively, his one remaining honourable option was to call a general election.
Referring to The Times leaders' debate on Thursday, Dr Muscat said the prime minister was refusing to acknowledge the current political problem, only calling it a challenge after having earlier likened it to a blister.
He had also showed that he was not making a distinction between transparency and bureaucracy, to the extent that he was defending the latter.
Would the prime minister say, for example, who would assume responsibility for the monstrosity built on Strait Street, Valletta, which would now be demolished?
In other parts of his speech Dr Muscat reiterated that Labour would create a safe working environment for SMEs. It would consider the self-employed as clients of the government and not the other way around, he said.
He also promised that, in line with EU rules, Labour would usher in a new system for the administration of public funds which did not depend on borrowing, but on creating the environment for economic growth powered by the private sector.
Dr Muscat reiterated that under Labour, health services would remain free and stipends would be retained and strengthened.
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Christopher Grech
Feb 13th, 10:24
Who is behind the world's draconian laws?
The best read ever! http://jahtruth.net/illumin.htm
J Craig
Feb 12th, 20:22
Muscat should halt from voting against the education law. This shows clearly he is against students and will remove stipends like Alfred Sant did. Muscat does not like University Students because he knows he doesn't enjoy a majority there. All he does is calculated and superficial. Muscat HALT!
J J Dalli
Feb 14th, 12:24
Dr Muscat is continuously repeating that a new Labour Government will not deduct stipends like the PN did in 2005. On the other hand his intentions are to improve them. After all he also declared that he is a product of the stipends system. Now if you do not want or like to listen to his declarations don't be malicious and unfair by repeating the same old lies which make you sound like brainwashed!
Emmanuel Carabott
Feb 12th, 20:22
I really don't know why I bother because the issue has become so political that reasons do not seem to matter anymore and everyone just believe what their party says. But there are so many inaccuracies in the comment that it hurts to simply ignore them so well one more try:
This is not an issue about copying, that's illegal and will not change, The Government said so himself!
Acta will not protect local industry in anyway I can see quite the opposite in my opinion. Strong copyright laws apply to everyone including the industry and companies will used it as a weapon to gain advantage. Our local industry is so small it has no chance against foreign giants in a court of law where the one with most money generally wins. case in point whats happening in the mobile industry right now: http://www.extremetech.com/computing/101939-the-patent-war-is-it-killing-innovation how many local companies do you people think can afford buying a company out for 4.5 BILLION dollars just so you have a few patents to fight back with?
No one is saying stealing is a right, though for accuracy sake downloading something is copyright infringement and not stealing and neither should anyone want it to be as you people have no idea how easy it is to break copyright law. I bet everyone in the world has broken copyright law so is everyone a thief? simply singing happy birthday in a restaurant breaks copyright law, the same law that downloading a movie breaks: http://www.unhappybirthday.com/ (though again not saying this to imply it should not be illegal to download movies!)
People who insist on privacy do not do so cause they have something to hide! anyone here is really okey with having people listen to every conversation, phone call and having a camera around all the time including while they're showering? and if you do not want that, is it because you have something to hide? We just got so used to the internet that somehow people consider it different but it isn’t. spying on someone's traffic is no different then spying on a conversation. People are afraid of discrimination and they might be afraid to speak out if they believe that the government can see what they're saying or to whom they are talking to online.
So whats the problem with ACTA, lots of things for me the main issue is the anti-circumvension law, sounds nice on paper but lots of rights and technologies depend on it.
did you buy a DVD and want to transfer it on your tablet to watch on the plane on a long trip? tough luck with ACTA that's illegal you need to buy it again (in order to copy it you need circumvent its copy protection mechanism)
Are you one of the millions of people who use Linux? ever watched a legally purchased DVD on it? well without DVD copy protection circumvention Linux would never have had DVD playing capabilities! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DeCSS
Like your anti virus software? guess what the company who sent you the latest anti-virus updates had very likely to circumvent the virus protections to be able to create that update! This too might be illegal under ACTA
Like you open office or other free software? for free software to be successful it needs to be able to support the other commercial products. And to do that one needs to reverse engineer the competing product to discover how it works in order to make it compatible. This process is called interoperability and European law allows for it: "Article 6 of the 1991 EU Computer Programs Directive allows reverse engineering for the purposes of interoperability" So if you cannot afford to buy Microsoft Office for €269.00 and would rather use open office which is free. Then currently you have no problems but with ACTA your open office would not be able to open files created with Microsoft Office unless Microsoft were kind enough to share their file format which if history is any indication they will certainly not do.
Other Expensive software for which people who do not want to break the law currently use free software include:
Photoshop: €829.49
3D studio MAX: €3,495
Adobe Illustrator $1,299
And that price is per user, think how much a local business would need to pay, luckly there are free alternatives but free alternatives are only viable as long as they support the big commercial products.
S. Camilleri
Feb 12th, 18:40
Here's an excerpt from what the Economist ... no less ... had to say about this travesty
<<< ACTA is intentionally vague (signatories are left to draw up precise rules themselves). But it is potentially draconian. Infringers could be liable for the total loss of potential sales (implying that everyone who buys a pirated product would have bought the real thing). It applies to unintentional use of copyright material. It puts the onus on website owners to ensure they comply with laws across several territories. It has been negotiated secretively and outside established international trade bodies ..>>>
The proposed legislation weighs everything against presupposed rights owners , permits violation of the fundamental precept of innocent until proven guilty and purposely and stupidly ignores the reality of the digital world when it assumes that anyone having pirated material... consciously or not ... would have bought the real thing at market extortionist prices!
Charles Bayliss
Feb 12th, 15:17
We used to protest because of the police state in the 80s. 30 years after, in a supposedly FREE EUROPEAN DEMOCRATIC COUNTRY we are back to sqaure one if not worse.
Francis Coquelin
Feb 12th, 16:56
How are we worse than the 80s? Have you been gassed and beaten by the police recently when you tried to attend a political meeting?
Ms.D. Galea
Feb 12th, 15:13
Min mindu is-serq sar "dritt" tal-individwu?
robert pace
Feb 12th, 16:37
X-serq hu jaqaw tuza l-internet biex tisraq, minflok ghad dritijiet tieghek jew tistudja u tkun taf. Mela trid pulizija jidhlu fuq hajtek ? tghamel x-tghamel anke jekk tibghat lil xi habiba jew habib ta jkollok ghajnejn jaraw x-int tghamel. China jew ir Russja dak li ser nigu , biex il gver jkollu first hand info fuqek ta...
Ramon Casha
Feb 12th, 16:43
Minn dejn deffist is-serq?
Francis Coquelin
Feb 12th, 16:57
Is-serq dejjem kien dritt ghal MLP. Tiftakar il-bicca ta' "jew b'xejn, jew xejn"?
Matthew Bugeja
Feb 12th, 17:37
Seriously? People everywhere are protesting.. Countries are backing out of this agreement...And you think that this is about people seeing piracy as a right?
Mr Joe Micallef
Feb 12th, 18:31
Robert Pace tinkwetax, jekk inti ma tghamlix download ta' materjal b'xejn, bhal kotba, films, muzika, software etc etc, l'ACTA mhux ser teffetwak.
T Gauci
Feb 12th, 19:09
Mela tmurx fuq Youtube ta ghax dak serq ukoll!! qed tisma il-musika b'xejn xbien
Matthew Bugeja
Feb 12th, 19:39
"Robert Pace tinkwetax, jekk inti ma tghamlix download ta' materjal b'xejn, bhal kotba, films, muzika, software etc etc, l'ACTA mhux ser teffetwak."
- Joe Micallef, how is it that they will know who is downloading illegal stuff and who is not if they will not be monitoring everyone?
Mr Joe Micallef
Feb 12th, 21:34
So Matthew, I take it you are against ACTA because you want to continue downloading! Believe me if you will but that will end, ACTA or not
Today you download because someone organizes storage real estate and makes money from advertising and premium service membership without paying any form of royalty to owners of copyright. ACTA will facilitate action against these organisers!
The alternative is that downloads, start carrying a royalty cost.
Mr M Spiteri
Feb 13th, 07:41
@ Francis Coquelin
Thanks to jew b'xejn jew xejn, my son attends a decent educational institution for a humble donation.
Mr Joe Micallef
Feb 13th, 08:08
M Spiteri you confirm that for the PL, other people's property or activity, is yours for the taking. You also confirm you have no clue of what you are talking about when you believe that your "son attends a decent educational institution for a humble donation"
mark borg
Feb 12th, 14:50
isma mhux forsi il-prim ivvota ghal acta ,ghax gibidlu li spaga Franco hux ? jew Simon ?
D Gilford
Feb 12th, 13:12
What Is ACTA ?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8Xg_C2YmG0
Alex Ellul
Feb 12th, 13:02
And you, Dr. Muscat, should have advosed then, not now. Where you dozing off?
rueben pitre
Feb 12th, 12:59
L-ewropa kollha tipprotesta kontra ACTA! This is because ACTA is against our privacy and Privacy is our human right. Whoever tries to turn this into a political issue, let them do so BUT real people knows that ACTA is against our human right and also knows that this was discussed and decided behind our backs which makes it even worse!
rueben pitre
Feb 12th, 12:54
L-ewropa kollha qed tipprotesta kontra ACTA. This is because real people know that ACTA is against Privacy and Privacy is our human right! Simple as that. Whoever wants to turn this into a political issue and keep talking about it like it is something good, then let them do so. But again...the real people knows the truth and knows also that this decision was discussed behind our backs!
marthese tonna
Feb 12th, 12:40
The PN representatives should reconsider their position, and vote to protect our fundamental liberties as guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Privacy is a fundamental human right, and the fact that it was kept hidden from us makes it even a worse situation!
John Zammit
Feb 12th, 12:24
The PL is right in on his opposition to ACTA.What we know till now is that we are going to have a branch of secret police watching us in our bedroom.He was also write about the building in Valletta that is going to be demolished.Who is going to pay the MEPA board, the Minister or us the people in the street.
A Zammit
Feb 12th, 12:18
99.9% of the blokes who fire comments against ACTA do not even understand that anti-counterfeiting laws have been in place for a long time. These laws are in place both in the US, EU, Japan and other nations. The protests against ACTA are being made just to show off the 'cool' element. Ahhh those Guy Fawkes masks...some extra bucks to the Chinese.
Bet that Joseph Muscat did not even read a line of the ACTA agreement!
Oh btw the final agreement document was published in May 2011. Have a look here:
http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2011/may/tradoc_147937.pdf
Great Leader Joseph Muscat came out against ACTA just recently after the protests were held. It is obvious that JM is just riding the wave, period. No other explanation necessary.
If there was a true concern from any of the MEPs who represent us, they would have raised objections when the agreement document was published and NOT during the ratification stage.
Guido Farrugia
Feb 12th, 12:58
So you're one of the .01% that knows everything about ACTA. u HALLINA. Where did you get thie percentage?
Matthew Bugeja
Feb 12th, 13:03
Do you have sources for these statistics? or are they an assumption based on your own in depth analysis into the personalities of people against ACTA?
If these laws are already there why do we need ACTA? and why are politicians pushing it so hard? Are you sure you read the right document? Are you sure you didn't by any chance read the fact sheet that they have been sending around about it instead?
"Great Leader Joseph Muscat came out against ACTA just recently after the protests were held. It is obvious that JM is just riding the wave, period. No other explanation necessary."
-That is pretty much why protests are held.. to change the mind of the politicians..
"If there was a true concern from any of the MEPs who represent us, they would have raised objections when the agreement document was published and NOT during the ratification stage."
- They did.. If there is no true concern; why is Dr.Gonzi now saying he is looking into laws to safeguard the internet user if these safeguards according to the MEPs that represent us are already there? And why do we need these safeguards if these laws are already there and nothing will change? Why are Germany saying that they will not sign it for now? Do you know more about these things than the German government A.Zammit?
“The federal justice minister in charge of the issue has already signaled her objections this week.” - is she part of the 99.9% who do not understand?
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/europe/germany/120210/acta-hits-delays-germany
A Bezzina
Feb 12th, 15:12
Very good points mentioned ... Another confirmation that Dr Joseph Muscat is excellent at ... RIDING THE WAVE!! But, unfortunately, little evidence of anything else!
robert pace
Feb 12th, 16:30
Whatever you say Mr Zammit ACTA is still overlooking the privacy of anyone using internet. Is this so? If it is the other arguments you use are beside the point. We dont want anyone to oversee our private conversations or use of anything. there are regulations already and that is it.
Thanks but we have see n the PL as the correct way ahead of us.
Ramon Casha
Feb 12th, 16:48
Both Dr. Muscat and Dr. Gonzi jumped to action after public awareness grew to this extent. The difference seems to be that Dr. Muscat has chosen to side with the citizens while Dr. Gonzi chose to stand against... again.
A Zammit
Feb 12th, 18:57
@Matthew Bugeja
The document is the one which I posed in the link above and not the videos and short 'interpreted stories' from 'knowledgeable authors'. Mr Bugejja, so what you are stating is that you never heard the news of a government or private entities taking legal action against a digital private network, you never heard the news of private entities providing the government details of usage of by users, you never heard the news of a private organization having to remove content and the list goes on.
The laws are already there. Many times, especially in the US, these laws are enforced. Furthermore, here you are only making a point on technology and communication (not to close the argument on the Internet only). Yes, Joseph Muscat is riding the wave and yes L. Gozi is looking into the laws just because of the protests. Ditto for the German government. This is all a political game being played.
Again, if there was a true concern, the MEPs would have reacted in May 2011, when the agreement was released and not 8 months after.
ACTA or not there are counterfeiting laws in place already. You can be prosecuted under those laws just like any other individual.
@Guido
Int ilek li hallejtna.
@Ramon
JM sides with the people? Give me a break! If he came out 8 months ago that would be understandable...but at this stage?
r spiteri
Feb 12th, 12:13
Joseph Muscat jara l-gazzetti il-Hadd filghodu...u skond xi jkun hemm, jaqbad iparla fuq is-suggett.....qisu xi erba' l-kazin jiehdu te u jghidu kelma sabiex jghaddu siegha u jmorru id-dar jiehdu l-bukkun u jorqdu siegha.....ma tantx qed tispira floating voaters b'dal mod!
George Azzopardi
Feb 12th, 14:24
mela ahjar min Gonzi ghax dan gazzetti ta 30 sena illu qed jara ghax l-argunenti li qed igib huwa x'kien jaghmel -l-labour fis-sebghin u tmeninijiet!!
Joseph Cauchi Senior
Feb 12th, 12:10
What the man in the street is worried about is not the control of the actual downloading of illegal material but the possibility of the ‘police authorities’ that with the excuse of the ACTA regulations, they will have the legal right to check your computer for any illegal downloads; when in actual fact the POLICE would be legally allowed to access your personal and private life!
This ACTA legislation could be the metaphorical ‘key’ that would open the floodgate for the Police to pry into one’s personal life!
If this is not BIG BROTHER legislation, then I do not know what is!
JC.
Fran Abela
Feb 12th, 16:01
The Police will only pry into one's personal life if there is serious cause to do so. At least that is how I see it. Anyway, I personally have no problems as I have nothing to hide and the Police can 'pry' into my life. I have always paid my taxes, paid NI contributions, etc. etc. and have been an honest hard working citizen all my life.
Ramon Casha
Feb 12th, 16:50
@Fran Abela: What do you think of the idea of the local police station having a copy of the key to every house in the locality, just to check for intruders and to investigate crimes while their owners are out?
Mr Ernest Vella
Feb 12th, 12:06
Joseph Muscat irid li s-serq jibqa ghaddej b'mod sfaccat...hekk ha jsehhaha l-Ekonomija? Id-dritt tal-Copyright huwa dritt...u ghandu jigi mharres.
Matthew Bugeja
Feb 12th, 12:14
So Copyrights should take precedent over the rights of the individual?
Andy Farrugia
Feb 12th, 12:21
"So Copyrights should take precedent over the rights of the individual?"
Copyright laws deal with rights of the individual!
Ms.D. Galea
Feb 12th, 15:12
Exactly what "rights" were you referring to Mr Bugeja? Criminals have rights too, as well as victims I guess.
robert pace
Feb 12th, 16:33
Joseph Muscat irrid lil kulhadd fil liberta specjalment dawk li juzaw l-internet biex jistudjaw etc. ghax lanqas biex tnizzel certa informazzjoni ghax ghandek l-ghajnejn fuqek ! Hekk sew qisna ir russja jew ic-china tridna ??? Bil pulizija jaraw x-int tghamel uzzgur jekk irrid il gvern halli jkun jaf fuqek bizzejjed. Mhemx fejn tista tasal aktar ......
Ramon Casha
Feb 12th, 16:51
Minn fejn deffist is-serq? Verament qed turi li la fhimt l-ACTA u anqas l-oġġezzjonijiet kontriha.
J.C. Borg
Feb 12th, 12:05
"Dr Gonzi was the least one to speak on civil rights" LOOK WHO IS TALKING?? - Where was Dr Muscat just 30 years ago???
"one only needed to remember the divorce debate where he even voted against divorce in parliament after the people voted in favour in a referendum" - The majority does not make bad things right. Dr gonzi did well to vote accoridng to his conviction.
Andrej Psaila
Feb 13th, 13:24
who bloody cares about 30 years ago.... I for one do not, stop being a sheep... meeq meqq
Ms.D. Galea
Feb 12th, 11:59
Jista Dr, Muscat jispjega kif ha " JSAHHAH is-sistema tal -stipendji" meta isir prim ministru?
Grazzi.
Nathalie Frendo
Feb 12th, 13:45
Ms Galea I am a Nationalist . The stipend is not anywhere enought for the needs of any student but it is costing the country a hell of alot of money. Students should be loaned the money and made to pay when they are earning enough after they graduate,. That way that same mony can be re used for other students. Keep in mmind that foreign students have to pay fees, work and pay for lodging whilst studying. In Malta students live at home with parents ( in most cases) own some sort of transport, do not have to worry about buying food and paying all that independent living brings about with it. Besides I think that what you wrote has nothing to do with the ACTA argumentmaybe now you also have to start paying for your dvds and music and guess what the country should not fork out an extra cent for this as well. ,
J.C. Borg
Feb 12th, 11:47
Jaqbad ma kull tibna biex, minghalih, jinghogob. Kull meta jitkellem juri kemm m'ghandux esperjenza politika.
A. Borg
Feb 12th, 19:04
L-ACTA tibna? Hallina habib,la tidhol fis-sehh tkun taf x'igifieri!
Mr Joe Micallef
Feb 12th, 11:15
This is how far private enterprise is "safe" with Muscat!
robert pace
Feb 12th, 16:39
So thats the intention of ACTA to safeguard private enterprise and let everyone sink and be watched day and night buy police even in the bedroom ????
Ramon Casha
Feb 12th, 16:53
@Joe Micallef: Why should private enterprise be allowed to override civil rights without a judicial process to prevent abuse?
Mr Joe Micallef
Feb 12th, 18:26
And this is his disciples hysterically heeding the call.
j brincat
Feb 12th, 11:01
"Joseph Muscat said today that the prime minister should have halted the ratification of ACT, as other countries had done"
Yes, but the PM's hands were tight because Simon spared no time to come in the open to defend ACTA!
(jb)