Gnangarra, Thanks for bringing this up here. I share your concerns. A statement from WMF legal would be helpful.

Best,
Steinsplitter


Date: Fri, 6 Nov 2015 20:22:14 +0800
From: gnangarra@gmail.com
To: wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org; affiliates@lists.wikimedia.org; commons-l@lists.wikimedia.org
Subject: [Commons-l] TPP - copyright

We have a new problem to face in the coming months assuming countries ratify the Trans Pacific Partnership https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans-Pacific_Partnership

The text of the agreement has been released in the last 24 hours, early commentary is indicating that copyright changes will occur restoring copyright to some works that are currently PD.  

According reports this will affect media sourced in Canada where copyright will be extended from 50-70 years meaning that image sin this period may need to be deleted both on commons and on en:wp, Australian sourced images face a similar issue as will other countries.

Rather than a piece meal commons copyright battle, and a duplicate one on en:wp being lead by  unqualified wikilawyers resulting in project discrepancies. I'm calling on the community to take  more holistic approach and request that the WMF ask for its legal eagles to give an edict we can take or communities to explain what will happen in each jurisdiction as the TPP is ratified.

This will also give us guidance as to how Affiliates can approach and support activities locally  to ensure material that is already freely available remains so.



--
G
​ideon

President Wikimedia Australia
WMAU: http://www.wikimedia.org.au/wiki/User:Gnangarra


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