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

Fri Dec 6 05:15:07 UTC 2013

On 05/12/13 02:56 PM, Stephen LaPorte 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
> 
> --

I certainly believe the Foundation should join on this letter. The
issue is specific and limited, and central to the Foundation's
mission. Unlike the other three organizations mentioned, WMF is an NGO
specifically involved in content creation and so may represent to the
negotiators a different constituency.

Amgine