Free The TPP! The Pacific free trade deal that's anything but free

[cali]

<snip>
A few items that have been leaked give us some insight as to the direction of this pact. One major focus is will be stronger protection for intellectual property. In the case of recorded music and movies, we might see provisions similar to those that were in the Stop Online Privacy Act (Sopa). This would make internet intermediaries like Google, Facebook and, indeed, anyone with a website into a copyright cop.

Since these measures were hugely unpopular, Sopa could probably never pass as a standalone piece of legislation. But tied into a larger pact and blessed with "free trade" holy water, the entertainment industry may be able to get what it wants.

The pharmaceutical industry is also likely to be a big gainer from this pact. It has decided that the stronger patent rules that it inserted in the 1995 WTO agreement don't go far enough. It wants stronger and longer patent protection and also increased use of "data exclusivity". This is a government-granted monopoly, often as long as 14 years, that prohibits generic competitors from entering a market based on another company's test results that show a drug to be safe and effective.

<snip>

There are many other provisions in this pact that are likely to be similarly controversial. The rules it creates would override domestic laws on the environment, workplace safety, and investment. Of course, it's not really possible to talk about the details because there are no publicly available drafts.

In principle, the TPP is exactly the sort of issue that should feature prominently in the fall elections. Voters should have a chance to decide if they want to vote for candidates who support raising the price of drugs for people in the United States and the rest of the world, or making us all into unpaid copyright cops. But there is no text and no discussion in the campaigns – and that is exactly how the corporations who stand to gain want it.

There is one way to spoil their fun. Just Foreign Policy is offering a reward, now up to $21,100, to WikiLeaks if it publishes a draft copy of the pact. People could add to the reward fund, or if in a position to do so, make a copy of the draft agreement available to the world.

<snip>

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/aug/27/pacific-free-trade-deal

Pledge here if you are so inclined

http://org.salsalabs.com/o/1439/content_item/freetpp

[TreasonousBastard]

1. You make it sound like patent and copyright protections are a bad thing...

overdone and counterproductive in many cases, but the point is to reduce thievery. Most people think reducing thievery is a good thing. One would think the Guardian would be in favor of protecting their rights.

And, since the details are unavailable, how do they know all of these terrible details?

[cali]

2. the way it's approached by such things as SOPA

is indeed a very bad thing. Read some of the articles that the EFF has been publishing. As for Pharmaceutical companies and how they benefit under FTAs, read about this:

Eli Lilly files $500M NAFTA suit against Canada over drug patents

Eli Lilly is accusing Canada of violating its obligations to foreign investors under the North American Free Trade Agreement by allowing its courts to invalidate patents for two of its drugs.

The company officially filed a complaint this week with NAFTA seeking $500 million US in compensation.

The Indianapolis-based pharmaceutical giant had already notified the federal government in June of its intention to submit a NAFTA complaint, but filed the formal "notice of arbitration" on Thursday after it failed to settle the dispute through negotiation.

The NAFTA claim alleges that several Canadian court rulings invalidating the patents for Eli Lilly's drugs Straterra and Zyprexa were illegal under international law because they violated Canada's obligations under Chapter 11 of NAFTA, the international trade treaty that covers the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

<snip>
http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/eli-lilly-files-500m-nafta-suit-against-canada-over-drug-patents-1.1829854

Yes, it's bad. bad. bad. bad.

[WillyT]

3. K & R !!!

[woo me with science]

4. K&R