There are two important meetings in Wellington in April this year.

The first meeting is InternetNZ’s “PublicACTA”, an open meeting for people to voice concerns and “critique the known and likely content of the ACTA proposals, providing a counterpoint to the secrecy of the negotiations.”. Details of some high profile guests will be announced by InternetNZ shortly. “We’re going to give the public the chance to have their say – in contrast to the secrecy of the negotiation process,” says Jordan Carter, InternetNZ Policy Director.

The second meeting is round 8 of international negotiations of the secret Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement. There have been several leaked drafts of this secret treaty, but no official information. The leaked ACTA details include prison time for copyright infringement, criminalization of breaking DRM, ISPs eavesdropping on their customers’ internet activity, and “Internet Enforcement” of copyright hidden behind the name “counterfeits”. The leaks so far reveal ACTA drafts containing things that thousands of New Zealand artists already said they don’t want done in their name, such as the three strikes and “Guilt on Accusation”.

PublicACTA is on the 10th of April. All are welcome.

SecretACTA is on the 12th of April. And it’s secret.

We encourage New Zealand artists to attend PublicACTA, to have your voice on heard and to hear more on what governments are doing to international copyright laws in the name of creativity. Creative Freedom’s Luke Rowell will be there also.