Canada passes ACTA into law.

[GostHacked]

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20131201/22105325420/without-anyone-paying-attention-canada-is-about-to-change-its-laws-to-join-acta.shtml

Thought ACTA was dead? While the EU Parliament may have strongly rejected it, and even with the EU Commission (who negotiated it) admitting that ACTA is dead, a variety of other countries still did sign on to the agreement. And, now, it appears that with basically no one paying any attention at all, Canada may be about to pass some laws to effectively tie itself to ACTA's ridiculous requirements. The bill was originally introduced back in March, but was never considered by the Canadian Parliament. However, in late October, it was reintroduced under a new code, C-8, and it looks like it's moving forward, despite almost no public discussion of it anywhere.

http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/6991/125/

Dealing with copywrite law, aimed at pharmaceuticals, but has much wider implications. According to Geist, there is no widespread counterfeiting in the drug industry. But this can take things to a whole other level and encompass more than just drugs.

If the EU and the USA don't want anything to do with it, then it would be good we don't as well.

But our government loves to pass bills in the still of night without a peep on it. No public discussion on this at all from what I can tell.

[g_bambino]

But our government loves to pass bills in the still of night without a peep on it. No public discussion on this at all from what I can tell.

Uh, the House of Commons is fairly open; visitors can sit in the galleries and watch proceedings. There are even cameras nowadays bringing parliamentary debate right to your home.

[overthere]

"According to Geist, there is no widespread counterfeiting in the drug industry. "

He'd be wrong.

There is plenty of counterfeiting outside the West, and it will inevitably move our way as boomers consume more and more pharmaceuticals as they age.

I was in India not long ago. There are boxes of real drugs(like Crestor, Cipro, Lipiotor and many others) collecting dust on the shelves right next to copies of those drugs made locally. The real versions are unaffordable, and the imitations are of course dangerous. They aren't generic drugs, they are unregulated copies.