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ACTA, is a trade treaty being negotiated by the world's wealthiest nations, and looking likely to screw over the world's less wealthy nations. New Zealand is amongst the negotiators, but while we're present, the leaked draft reveal many things that are not good for us.

ACTA includes stopping generic medicines - so if you cant afford the patent holder's drug, then you have to go without your life saving medicine. This greatly alarms many nations dealing with AIDs epidemics, or other illnesses in their population, who are saving the lives of their people with cheaper generic drugs, and see this as more important than feeding massive profits to foreign pharmaceutical companies. Generics are the exact same medicine, but from another manufacturer.

Famously a shipment of generic medicines bound for India was seized and destroyed by dutch authorities in international waters, over a year ago. The sick in India did not receive their medicine. Hence India are very very very alarmed by ACTA, and have called for allies in stopping ACTA.

Ada Lovelace Day is an international day of blogging (videologging, podcasting, comic drawing etc.!) to draw attention to the achievements of women in technology and science.

Women’s contributions often go unacknowledged, their innovations seldom mentioned, their faces rarely recognised. We want you to tell the world about these unsung heroines, whatever they do. It doesn’t matter how new or old your blog is, what gender you are, what language you blog in, or what you normally blog about – everyone is invited.

So hard to pick someone for Ada Lovelace day: but here does a bunch of them.

The following are women techies, and inspire me:

Emmajane Hogbin - Documentator extrodinaire. Emmajane knows her tech, can out programme pretty much all of you reading this blog, and knows how to write (and get others to write) documentation that humans can understand, especially when the reader is new to a project.

Fabiana Kubke - My favourite mad professor, Fabiana is a neuroscientist and senior lecturer at Auckland University. She's a contributor to One Laptop Per Child, various New Zealand Science blogs, and something to do with the lifestyles of Tui birds.

Mel Chua - a ball of energy. does she ever stop moving? Mel works at Red Hat atm, but has previously worked for One Laptop Per Child, and is still contributing. She's on the Sugar Labs equiv of a decision making board, and contribute prolific amounts of FOSS, not just code.

Aparently New Zealand is gonna start some open cast mining operations in the middle of our national parks.

Where?

Forest and Bird obtained a copy of the report, and leaked it.

Conservation organisation Forest & Bird has uncovered Government plans to allow mining in 7000 hectares of high-value conservation land in the West Coast’s Paparoa National Park, Great Barrier Island and the Coromandel Peninsula.

The areas are:
• Te Ahumata plateau on Great Barrier Island (about 700ha)
• Otahu Ecological Area (396ha) and Parakawai Geological Reserve (70ha) near Whangamata and 2500ha near Thames township
• Eastern Paparoa National Park, near Inangahua (3000ha)

http://www.forestandbird.org.nz/what-we-do/publications/media-releases/f...

So, what animals live there?

“We’re not talking about gorse-covered hillsides with the odd tree in these areas. We are talking about rare native Hochstetter’s frogs, endangered brown teal, mature forest and pristine wilderness areas.”

so, lets all go mining on top of endangered species. Lovely.

There are some things i reckon are the minimum infomation a Free & Open Source Software project should have clearly on or one link away from the front page of the project website

1) What the product does
2) What licence is is released under
3) A Download link for the stable version
4) A link to find the source/version control
5) How to contribute

So, i did a quick Survey of some projects that are popular with New Zealanders:

NBR reports

Prime Minister John Key has announced that the government will throw out the controversial Section 92A of the Copyright Amendment (New Technologies) Act and start again.

With only four days until the Guilt Upon Accusation law, Section 92A of the Copyright Act, is due to come into force the Creative Freedom Foundation (CFF) are highlighting statistics that paint a picture of what New Zealanders may face if the Government allows this law.

Statistics emerge around the Guilt Upon Accusation Law.. With only four days until the Guilt Upon Accusation law, Section 92A of the Copyright Act, is due to come into force the Creative Freedom Foundation (CFF) are highlighting statistics that paint a picture of what New Zealanders may face if the Government allows this law.

S92A was championed by former Labour MP Judith Tizard as a law that would cut off the internet of those "who might be breaking the law" without any due process – effectively removing New Zealander's fundamental right to being presumed innocent until proven guilty. Prime Minister John Key has aptly called this law "draconian".

i don't think APRA actually realise they're shitting all over the NZ internet industry and users rights to preserve their traditional revenue.

Spending a moment trying on their shoes - it would look initially like a glorious new world under new legislation. Wearing their shoes, i can see how *angry* the "theft" of their member's work via blatant sharing without permission feels.

They can take down these "thieves" using this law. But are they really so selfish they can't see all the casualties caught in the cross fire?

How can we explain it to them?

This new copyright law threatens the livelihood of those that work on the internet.

This law tramples on New Zealander's rights (artists included).

This law discriminates against those doing business on the interent - if you're accused of copyright in print or broadcast then you need proof, right to a trial, and you don't get summarily punished immediately. They don't remove a TV stations ability to broadcast, or a Magazine's right to publish immediately apon infringment accusation. The new copyright law will remove an internet business abiltiy to do any business immediately apon accusation.

This law discriminates against New Zealanders - we're left with the extra costs passed on by ISPs who become an unpaid copyright police force - we're also left with the threat of summary disconnection, website takedowns, and for some businesses the expense of a secondary connection just in case someone makes an accusation.

I asked the question:
what do we think of forcing people to take their annual leave at christmas time, instead of at their prefered time?

Some responses from New Zealanders:

The New Zealand Government continues to participate in ACTA treaty negotiations.

Our Ministry of Economic Development (MED) reports on ACTA Negotiations: Report on Round Three, 8-9 October 2008, Tokyo and have even published the Agenda. As mentioned on the NZOSS list, MED have noted that "Participants confirmed their intention to continue consulting with their respective stakeholders, and to share the results of the consultations at their next meeting.". Who are these stakeholders? Who are they going to share these with?

ACTA is "Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement", a treaty originating in the USA, and to date still secret. Many snippets have leaked, including an assertion that the Copyright Hoarding entities (RIAA and their clones) have been consulted for their wishlist.

More mobile choices for NZ - New Zealand's source for business, stock market & currency news on StufSource: www.stuff.co.nzNew Zealanders should have a choice of five mobile companies within weeks, with Australian-listed telco M2 and locally owned start-up Black and White set to join Telecom, Vodafone and Tels