Author: Joop Beris

  • Piracy and the power of protest

    Piracy and the power of protest

    As I mentioned before, in many countries across Europe, massive demonstrations and protests have been and are being held to tell our governments that a substantial portion of European citizens are opposed to ACTA. Here in The Netherlands, a protest is being organized in Amsterdam, this Saturday. Now, the Dutch are not known for their…

  • ACTA Fact Sheet

    ACTA Fact Sheet

    For those of you who still have doubt about why or even if ACTA is bad, European Digital Rights has published an ACTA fact sheet, that demonstrates very clearly why ACTA is not in the best interest of European citizens or even the whole of Europe, including its industries. It makes for a chilling read!

  • ACTA is not necessary

    ACTA is not necessary

    For years, we have been hearing the cries of the content industry, from the RIAA, the MPAA and here in the Netherlands from Stichting Brein: “Piracy is killing us”, “If piracy continues, no more great new music/films will be made”, “Won’t you think of the artists?” and “Piracy is theft”. That’s my favourite, that last…

  • The silence of traditional media

    The silence of traditional media

    As the discussion and protests against ACTA heat up across Europe, there are several media, such as newspapers and TV, that remain silent. The protests don’t make it to the evening news, there are no articles dedicated to ACTA in newspapers. That is a shame, since these media traditionally reach a large number of people.…

  • The only thing you need to know about ACTA…

    The only thing you need to know about ACTA…

    I’ve been writing quite a bit about the dangers of ACTA recently. Just look at my tag cloud to see how big ACTA has become! I do that because I fear for our future should ACTA become a reality. Fortunately, it’s not just me who is spreading the word. I came across an excellent explanation…

  • Anti-ACTA protest in the Netherlands

    Anti-ACTA protest in the Netherlands

    A number of people are organizing an Anti-ACTA protest in The Netherlands on February 4 February 11. It is high time people hold a visual protest here. The protest is in Amsterdam on Dam Square. So…who will be there? More information here! In other news, in Poland, large protests are being held and even members…