Trans-Pacific Partnership Intellectual Property Law: An Internet 'Death Warrant'

7.11.15

Trans-Pacific Partnership Intellectual Property Law: An Internet 'Death Warrant': [readersupportednews.org] The overarching issue Internet freedom activists have with the agreement is that it essentially imposes U.S. copyright laws on the other 11 countries involved in the deal, including Japan, Canada, Australia and Chile. Activists view the laws as outdated and overly strict, but copyright holders see this as a benefit that will protect their trademarks, which are often difficult to control across international borders.

“Now that we can read the final TPP text, it’s obvious why it was kept in total secrecy for so long: this agreement is a wish list for powerful special interests and multinational corporations,” Evan Greer, campaign director of Internet advocacy group Fight for the Future, said in a statement Thursday. “The Intellectual Property chapter confirms our worst first about the TPP’s impact on our basic right to express ourselves and access information on the Internet. If U.S. Congress signs this agreement despite its blatant corruption, they’ll be signing a death warrant for the open Internet and putting the future of free speech in peril.”