Darrell Issa Puts Old Leaked TPP IP Text Up For Discussion
from the why-isn't-ron-kirk-doing-this? dept
We've written a few times now about Rep. Darrell Issa, and the Madison platform his office has set up to allow for crowdsourcing opinion on legislation and other government documents. He originally used it for his OPEN Act, but then later posted the text of ACTA as well. His latest move is to post the leaked text of the US's negotiating position on TPP. This is the same text that leaked out last year. It would be nice if the USTR did something like this itself with the latest text, but that's not how USTR Ron Kirk works. To him "transparency" is only sharing the text with big industry special interests, and declaring it a matter of "national security" if anyone else wants to see it.Issa recognizes how this is dangerous to a functioning democracy, when our federal government is negotiating deals in back rooms, despite the fact they will have a massive impact on the public:
“At a time when the American people and Internet users all around the world are rightfully wary of any closed-door negotiations that could adversely impact their ability to freely and openly access the Internet, the Obama Administration continues to pursue a secretive, closed-door negotiating process for the Trans Pacific Partnership,” Issa said. “I have decided to publish the intellectual property rights chapter of TPP in Madison so that the public can provide input to those negotiating this agreement, and to push this Administration - and the federal government as a whole - to be open, transparent and inclusive when it comes to international intellectual property rights agreements that have potentially serious consequences for the Internet community.”Again, it's great that he's added this text to the Madison platform, but it's disappointing that it's still the old leaked version, rather than anything more up to date. The version he posted is now 15 months old, and there have been a bunch of additional negotiations since then. Still, it's good to see others in the federal government trying to encourage discussion on this agreement, even if the USTR continues to hide in secrecy (unless you're a big corporate lobbyist, of course).
Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Filed Under: crowdsourcing, darrell issa, madison platform, ron kirk, tpp, transparency, ustr
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
Subject To Law
And you shouldn't be subject to any law that you or someone that can represent you (outside of big businesses and the government itself) can have any input on. It just doesn't make any sense to require that of anyone.
You wouldn't do this at a company. Create a rule that you expect all your employees to follow, but never tell them what it is and even have secret interpretations of it. You would get sued in very short order and possibly be shut down depending on the severity of the case.
There are so many inequities and possibilities for discrimination that no one in their right mind would allow this in the business world. So why allow it in the government world?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Subject To Law
Because the Government is no longer run "By the people, for the people." It's run "By the lobbyists, for the Corporations."
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Subject To Law
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Re: Subject To Law
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Subject To Law
Like the patriot act?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
Simply because he favors less draconian remedies than what we've been hearing does not make up for the fact that he makes no secret of believing in a made-up "problem" that has no basis in reality. If anything, he's the lesser of two evils.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re:
OPEN was a necessary evil in response to SOPA. Supporters of SOPA needed to see *something* they could support, and thus OPEN was created to fit that bill. I don't think anyone behind OPEN ever was pushing it as a real solution.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Re: Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Oh, please...
Do you really think Rep. Issa would have anything to say if it was a Republican administration that was pushing TPP?
I really doubt it. Rep. Issa is just trying to score political points.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Oh, please...
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Oh, please...
Well, it was a Republican who pushed SOPA, and he went against that. So, perhaps.
No one is claiming Issa is perfect. I specifically have called him out for other things. But if you refuse to cheer on any action by a politician unless they support every single point that you like you're not going to get very far in life.
This was a good move, at least celebrate that.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Oh, please...
We should look at the motive before congratulating a politician. And I don't think Rep. Issa has an honest motive here. I am not going to celebrate when someone does something right for the wrong reasons; the ends do not justify the means.
Think about what he's implying; that TPP is owned by "The Obama Administration". Do you really believe that? Because I believe that TPP would still be happening even if Sen. McCain had won the election. I don't see this as belonging to one party or the other; it belongs to The Federal Government.
By the way, I'll see your "went against SOPA" and raise you "co-sponsored PRO-IP act".
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Re: Oh, please...
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Re: Oh, please...
McCain is not interested in trade negotiations. He would much rather subdue those nations currently in the TPP negotiations using the might of our military. The guy is a warmonger. If you think Obama has been bad about war policies and use of the military, it would ahve been far worse the other way.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Re: Re: Oh, please...
As far as I'm concerned, there is little difference between which party controls the executive. Taxes always go down. Debt always goes up. Bombs are dropped on nations who did nothing to us.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Oh, please...
if you're lucky, it even encourages further good action.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
The fascist state IS the problem.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
CISPA
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
All they need to do is say to the USG "look we need to change the text of this bullshit that you are currently trying to force into TPP and if you really refuse to come to the party we will remove ourselves from the negotiations, refuse to sign anything, and though you might jump up and down and threaten use with economical sanctions [they all giggle at the absurdity of USA doing this nowadays] we will also release the full text of the TPP up to and including the current revision we have nw to the world."
"What that would breach some weird international ethics or code.... and the USA really wants to state this in public? Mwuahahahahahahahahaahahahahahaha"
Could be a good stick for Chile to beat them over the head with. Since it could be construed to be in the national Interests of Chile to release the text.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re:
2) Watch the lulz commence
3) ???
4) PROFIT!!!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
He /might/ but...
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Article 2 - 1 - scent trademarks?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
xiaoxiao
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
wanzi
[ link to this | view in chronology ]