[Advocacy Advisors] Joining a letter on copyright term in the TPP?

[Kat Walsh]

I think Wikimedia should sign it; as mentioned, the letter is targeted at
the copyright term issue, which is well within our mission, without
bringing in other issues that we may not share a position on.

-Kat


On Thu, Dec 5, 2013 at 2:56 PM, Stephen LaPorte <slaporte at wikimedia.org>wrote:

> Hello advocacy advisers,
>
> Current drafts of the Trans Pacific Partnership[0], a new trade treaty
> currently being negotiated, contains language that would require countries
> that sign the treaty to extend the length of the minimum copyright term to
> life of the author plus 70 years. Global treaties currently require only
> life + 50 years, so the TPP would represent a widespread extension of
> copyright terms by 20 years, and make it hard to roll back the copyright
> term in countries that already have life + 70.
>
> The letter below[1], addressed to the TPP negotiators, directly addresses
> this issue. We’re considering signing, because the letter is specifically
> targeted at an issue (copyright term) that is core to our encyclopedic
> mission, and affects (at present) 14 different countries.
>
> Does the advisory group have any thoughts about joining the letter? We
> would like to let KEI know if we will join the letter before December 7,
> 2013.
>
> [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans-Pacific_Partnership ;
> http://tppinfo.org/
>
> (We briefly mentioned TPP in the Wikilegal fact sheet on ACTA in January
> 2012. If anyone is interested in updating that document, feel free to get
> in touch! See:  https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikilegal/ACTA)
>
> [1] http://keionline.org/nolifeplus70intpp
>
> --
>
> The letter was prepared by Knowledge Ecology International, and will be
> joined by like-minded organizations including the Open Knowledge
> Foundation, Electronic Frontier Foundation, and Free Software Foundation.
>
> Full copy of the letter:
>
> *Dear TPP negotiators,*
>
> *In a December 7-10 meeting in Singapore you will be asked to endorse a
> binding obligation to grant copyright protection for 70 years after the
> death of an author. We urge you to reject the life+ 70 year term for
> copyright.*
>
> *There is no benefit to society of extending copyright beyond the 50 years
> mandated by the WTO. While some TPP countries, like the USA, Mexico, Peru,
> Chile or Australia, already have life+ 70 (or longer) copyright terms,
> there is growing recognition that such terms were a mistake, and should be
> shortened, or modified by requiring formalities for the extended periods.*
>
> *The primary harm from the life+ 70 copyright term is the loss of access
> to countless books, newspapers, pamphlets, photographs, films, sound
> recordings and other works that are “owned” but largely not commercialized,
> forgotten, and lost. The extended terms are also costly to consumers and
> performers, while benefiting persons and corporate owners that had nothing
> to do with the creation of the work.*
>
> *Life+70 is a mistake, and it will be an embarrassment to enshrine this
> mistake into the largest regional trade agreement ever negotiated.*
>
> --
> Stephen LaPorte
> Legal Counsel
> Wikimedia Foundation
>
> *This message might have confidential or legally privileged information in
> it. If you have received this message by accident, please delete it and let
> us know about the mistake. For legal reasons, I may only serve as an
> attorney for the Wikimedia Foundation. This means I may not give legal
> advice to or serve as a lawyer for community members, volunteers, or staff
> members in their personal capacity.*
>
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>


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