EFF: Sen. Wyden may hold the future of the Internet in his hands. (TPP)

[Faryn Balyncd]

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), which continues the battle to prevent extreme copyright and digital privacy provisions, which could never be passed in a transparent democratic environment, from stealth passage under TPP "Fast Track", is asking our help with a petition to Sen. Wyden:

Demand an End to Secret Copyright Trade Deals
Senator Ron Wyden may hold the future of the Internet in his hands. Let's call on him to fix the secretive process that has led to trade deals carrying extreme copyright and digital privacy provisions.



As Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, Senator Wyden is under pressure to fast track trade agreements like the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement. But he has another option: to finally bring these deals out into the open. We call on him now to continue to stand up to big private interests and help ensure that our digital rights are protected. . . .If digital policies must be included in trade agreements, they cannot be dictated solely by the one-sided concerns of Hollywood and other corporate interests. Users need a seat at the table. Here are some crucial fixes that will help make that happen.



January 17, 2015
Dear Senator Wyden,

As constituents, consumers, and Internet users, we call on you to defend users' rights as you work to develop a new trade authority proposal. Democratic and transparent negotiating procedures are essential to protect those rights and the future of our Internet. Thus, any such proposal must include:

Easy, ongoing access to negotiating texts by all Congress members and their staff with proper security clearance and timely public release of concluded provisions following each round of negotiations;
Ongoing, up-to-date publication of detailed summaries of the USTR's specific proposals being submitted in negotiations;
Regular publication of agendas and transcripts of meetings and of all communications between USTR officials and all stakeholders, including industry groups;
Mandatory negotiating objectives that balance users' rights with those of private industry, including requirements to enact safeguards for free speech, privacy, and access to knowledge;
Congressional certification that negotiating objectives have been met before negotiations are concluded with only the pacts that have been so certified qualifying for expedited consideration;
Congressional approval of trade agreement texts before they can be signed by a president so that Congress explicitly authorizes a president to enter into a pact only after ensuring that an agreement’s contents are acceptable.

We stand opposed to any new version of trade authority that does not include these critical guarantees of transparency, inclusiveness and accountability. Additionally, provisions in current trade negotiations must not be considered closed until these transparency and oversight mechanisms have been put in place.

Signed
Your Name




https://act.eff.org/action/demand-an-end-to-secret-copyright-trade-deals

We Need to Stop the White House From Putting TPP and TTIP on the Fast Track To Ratification


https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2015/01/we-need-stop-white-house-putting-tpp-and-ttip-fast-track-ratification

Some background on why such common-sense restoration of democratic processes and transparency to the TPP is necessary:

How TPP Would Harm You At the Drug Store and On The Internet


A law affecting content on the Internet that was rejected by Congress shows up in a trade agreement designed to bypass and override Congress. Small, innovative companies that manufacture low-cost, generic drugs find their products blocked.

Those are examples of what is in store based on provisions in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which is now being negotiated by the United States and 11 other nations, that have been leaked to the public. The leaks appear to show that provision after leaked provision will take power away from democracy and countries and hand it to the biggest corporations. No wonder these giant, monopolistic corporations want Congress to approve Fast Track before they – and We the People – get a chance to read the agreement.

Because of these leaks we know that the TPP has an intellectual property section that will override government rules that limit the power giant corporations can wield against smaller competitors and the general public. Intellectual property (IP) is a term that covers patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, industrial designs and similar ‘intangible assets.”. . .

[grasswire]

1. big kick

thanks

[WillyT]

2. Huge K & R !!! - Thank You !!!

[rhett o rick]

3. I will also send this to my Senators. I just got back my second response from

Sen Cantwell about the TPP. Once again it was full of rhetoric. She didn't address Fact Track and only addressed the Trade portion of the agreement. And, as in the first response, she tries to make us feel better by indicating that those that lose their jobs will be retrained at taxpayer expense. Not much of a consolation. I think McDonalds does their own training.