Law Professors Ask President Obama To Open Up TPP Process

from the stop-the-secrecy dept

A group of over 80 law professors, including many prominent and well-known ones, have now called on President Obama to open up the secretive TPP process. They point out that, especially after the recent leak of the TPP's IP chapter, it's shown that the closed, secretive, non-transparent process leads to bad results. Instead, they argue for an open process, like the recent Marrakesh Treaty concerning copyright issues related to the blind. In that negotiation, proposals were made publicly and shared, so that there was widespread public comment and discussion. There is simply no good reason for the US government to continue negotiating this massive, and tremendously important treaty in secret. The lawyers are clear that they're not against the overall TPP agreement -- in fact, many support it. But they cannot accept the backroom process by which it has been negotiated.
We, the undersigned intellectual property law academics and scholars, write to you to ask you to support immediately changing the secretive TPP negotiation process in law and in practice, and follow instead the example set by the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired, or Otherwise Print Disabled, as explained below.

Intellectual property law is incredibly far reaching in its impact – implicating everything from the price of medicines and textbooks to the ability to exercise free expression and create new business models on the Internet. The TPP’s intellectual property chapter would restrict Congress’s ability to legislate on these key issues, and would do so without public input. Indeed, reported proposals in the TPP would foreclose many policy proposals currently under consideration, including proposals to reform copyright law proposed by the Library of Congress, proposals to reform “data exclusivity” periods for biologic medicines included in the President’s budget, and proposals to amend exceptions for the circumvention of technological protection measures to promote interoperability of cell phones proposed by the Administration itself.
They also point out (nicely), that the administration should know better by now. Not only was the Marrakesh Treaty a success, but ACTA failed because of the USTR's insistence on doing everything in backrooms, and avoiding any and all transparency. So far, it looks like they haven't learned their lesson yet, but pushing the load of crap that is the current IP chapter on TPP seems likely to only give the USTR yet another refresher course in what happens when they decide to make deals like this in backrooms to favor Hollywood and Big Pharma, rather than having an open review in public.
Hide this

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: barack obama, law professors, marrakesh treaty, open, scholars, tpp, ustr


Reader Comments

Subscribe: RSS

View by: Time | Thread


  1. This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
    identicon
    out_of_the_blue, 14 Nov 2013 @ 8:34pm

    "they're not against the overall TPP agreement"!!!

    WELL I AM! It's globalist corporatists stripping sovereignty from people everywhere. Bad for everyone except the 1% or perhaps 0.1%.

    So what the hell is your point here? To promote people who are FOR the globalist power grab? So long as it's done right out in the open?

    So you need to state your position on TPP itself, Mike. -- Not that I expect you to. Getting ANY position out of you has proved impossible.


    Here's an interesting admission direct from the globalists at the Council on Foreign Relations:
    Last month, Silicon Valley purported to be shocked by revelations that the National Security Agency (NSA) has routinely accessed the servers of tech giants Google and Yahoo, which store data for hundreds of millions of users. In response, the companies pledged to step up privacy protections.

    There is only one problem: Such protections run counter to the business model and public policy agenda that tech companies have pursued for decades. For years, U.S. information technology (IT) firms have actively backed weak privacy rules that let them collect massive amounts of personal data.

    http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/140246/abraham-newman/privacy-pretense

    link to this | view in thread ]

  2. identicon
    S. T. Stone, 14 Nov 2013 @ 8:44pm

    Re: "they're not against the overall TPP agreement"!!!

    Getting ANY position out of you has proved impossible.

    Only because you don’t look for a solid position. You look for statements which you can take out of context and turn them into a troll attack.

    Even if Mr. Masnick laid down a solid position on a given subject, you’d attack him for not laying down a ‘solid enough’ position. (‘Oh, you don’t have a golden bullet solution to piracy, but several ideas on how companies could potentially mitigate the effects of piracy? SO YOU’RE AN IDIOT WHO DOESN’T KNOW HOW TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM! Typical Techderp pro-piracy nonsense!’)

    You see the world and everything in it — especially copyright — as a black-and-white affair with no room for anything inbetween. That’s why you’ll never come off as a quality commenter or anything less than a troll: you’ll never accept the shades of grey (50 or otherwise) in which the world actually exists.

    Now leave the intelligent comments to our regular visitors. I’m sure you can find something else that will occupy your time. How about a nice game of global thermonuclear war? (You can even be Russia!)

    link to this | view in thread ]

  3. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 14 Nov 2013 @ 8:50pm

    Not only was the Marrakesh Treaty a success, but ACTA failed because of the USTR's insistence on doing everything in backrooms, and avoiding any and all transparency.

    What about KORUS?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  4. identicon
    PopeyeLePoteaux, 14 Nov 2013 @ 9:00pm

    I wonder...

    .. what kind of non-answer Obama will give, if he cares to give an answer to begin with.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  5. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 14 Nov 2013 @ 9:03pm

    Re: I wonder...

    No way he answers. The less attention drawn to the TPP, the better for him.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  6. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 14 Nov 2013 @ 9:13pm

    Re: Re: "they're not against the overall TPP agreement"!!!

    Look, it is all Mike's fault for not putting the solution to the worlds problems in the title of the article.

    Out-of-the-blue has stated multiple times that he/she/it does not read the content of the articles, just the title.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  7. This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 14 Nov 2013 @ 9:29pm

    Re: Re: Re: "they're not against the overall TPP agreement"!!!

    Solutions have never been a concern of Masnick's.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  8. This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 14 Nov 2013 @ 9:32pm

    Law Professors Ask President Obama To Open Up TPP Process

    Oh look, it's the same bunch of professional malcontents who claimed SOPA would break the internet. I feel much better now.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  9. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 14 Nov 2013 @ 9:37pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re:

    Funny, no one's ever seen you offer solutions other than suck it up and remove works from public domain access.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  10. identicon
    Pixelation, 14 Nov 2013 @ 10:04pm

    Why would Obummer respond? He only stands to lose. Of course, We the People lose instead.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  11. identicon
    PopeyeLePoteaux, 14 Nov 2013 @ 10:05pm

    Re:

    Says the industry shill who probably assert that SOPA was in no way abused by legacy players.

    Care to give solid evidence to refute the claim made by not only law professors, but tech and security experts?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  12. icon
    Rapnel (profile), 14 Nov 2013 @ 11:46pm

    Got no goods

    I'm not sure I get it. Why is IP/Copyright being negotiated as part of a bundle in some big ass trade agreement. As we've clearly seen there are no trade barriers to media. Like, none, at all. At least not the real kind like oceans, mountains, armies and earth quakes negotiated for moving milk, medicines and mercedes.

    I'll tell you what, if I was trying to get my bricks across the water and make some money I sure as fuck wouldn't want to be bundled up with these ass hats.

    It's an insidious repertoire. They can't even fucking deliver their own goods so they feel like everyone should latch onto their sinking fucking vessel? Something's seriously wrong with this. Seriously.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  13. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 15 Nov 2013 @ 2:16am

    "Not only was the Marrakesh Treaty a success, but ACTA failed because of the USTR's insistence on doing everything in backrooms."

    I think they should stay backroom until this one is over.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  14. This comment has been flagged by the community. Click here to show it
    identicon
    out_of_the_blue_is_fucking_stupid, 15 Nov 2013 @ 2:23am

    Re: "they're not against the overall TPP agreement"!!!

    Fuck I hate you.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  15. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 15 Nov 2013 @ 5:53am

    'There is simply no good reason for the US government to continue negotiating this massive, and tremendously important treaty in secret'

    of course there is! the USA wants to be in control of as much as possible, world wide that is beneficial to it and it's businesses but detrimental to everyone else. and if anyone thinks that it will stop here, just look at what the entertainment industries do. as soon as they get an agreement on something, they go back and ratchet up what they want. so far, internet firms and businesses have stupidly gone along with this but the days are numbered. why else does anyone think this 'deal' is going through in secret? the less people who know about it and what's in it, the better the USA likes it. then consider if it gets through here, how long before the same conditions are instilled on to the EU? they wont be quite as stupid and easy to walk over, but will be under tremendous pressure to follow suit! that then means the whole world under USA control and totally fucked!! the USG cant do what is right in it's own country. think of the complete screw up it's gonna make of the planet!!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  16. icon
    Oblate (profile), 15 Nov 2013 @ 6:10am

    Re: I wonder...

    He probably won't even look at it until it has 100k signatures from law professors. Only then will he start working on not answering it.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  17. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 15 Nov 2013 @ 8:15am

    Re: Re: I wonder...

    he wont answer it, period.

    you would get a quicker, better answer from a turd! at least then you expect to get nothing but shit!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  18. identicon
    Rekrul, 15 Nov 2013 @ 9:57am

    Re: Got no goods

    I'm not sure I get it. Why is IP/Copyright being negotiated as part of a bundle in some big ass trade agreement.

    Because the copyright industry wants it. It's as simple as that.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  19. identicon
    Rekrul, 15 Nov 2013 @ 9:59am

    There is simply no good reason for the US government to continue negotiating this massive, and tremendously important treaty in secret.

    Of course there is: They want to keep the corporations happy and they can't do that if the public and other groups put up a fight.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  20. identicon
    out_of_the_blue, 15 Nov 2013 @ 10:29am

    TPP: From corporation personhood to corporate nationhood

    http://rt.com/op-edge/tpp-us-secretive-draft-736/

    Wish I had such knack for capsulizing. That headline is what the 80 lawyers whose position Mike is promoting here actually want: super-national corporations.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  21. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 15 Nov 2013 @ 7:16pm

    Agreed. Stop with the secrecy! These free trade deals effect us all.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  22. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 16 Nov 2013 @ 1:14pm

    Re:

    Still butthurt about that one, are you?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  23. identicon
    Mark Traina, 24 Apr 2014 @ 4:32pm

    PRESIDENT OBAMA has TOTALLY FUC... UP this time!

    Sadly, BLACK PEOPLE will SUFFER the MOST once these BLACK CRACKHEADS hit the STREETS – HORNY and lookin for a FIX!

    OBAMA FREES THOUSANDS of CRACKHEADS into the follow CRIME INFESTED CITIES & TOWNS:


    1) DETROIT
    2) DENVER
    3) CLEVELAND
    4) ATLANTA
    5) ST. LOUIS
    6) BROOKLYN
    7) NEWARK
    8) MEMPHIS
    9) NEW ORLEANS
    10) BATON ROUGE
    11) SHREVEPORT
    12) MONROE
    13) HOUSTON
    14) DALLAS
    15) PHILLY
    16) COONCARGO
    17) BALTIMORE
    18) OAKLAND
    19) WATTS
    20) ATLANTIC CITY
    21) JERSEY CITY
    22) Charleston
    23) CHARLOTTE
    24) MONGOMERY
    25) HUNTSVILLE
    26) JACKSON
    27) MIAMI
    28) JACKSONVILLE
    29) LOUISVILLE
    30) FLINT


    WHITE PEOPLE are once again WARNED about TRAVELING through these CRACK & POT PREDOMONINATELY BLACK BLIGHTED CITIES and TOWNS!


    Who is PRESIDENT OBAMA: http://zealnote.com/2013/11/30/obama-childhood-friend-claims-obama-has-always-been-homosexual-lying- cocaine-addict/comment-page-1/#comment-1688




    FACT: "To be FORWARNED is to be FOREARMED!"


    The NAAWP is not ANTI-BLACK, but we are a PRO-WHITE CONSERVATIVE CHRISTIAN-BASED ORGANIZATION!



    The NAAWP is not in any way associated with the INFAMOUS KLU KLUX KLAN and we don't believe in RANDON ACTS of VIOLENCE, nor do we PROMOTE RACIAL HATRED! BLACKS, HISPANICS, ASIANS and MUSLIMS are WELCOME to JOIN the NAAWP - We have an OPEN DOOR POLICY to all RACES, GENDERS and CULTURES!



    FACT: Our MEMBERS came from all WALKS of LIFE and but we converge in our LOVE for AMERICA and in our PROUD WHITE HERITAGE!



    NATIONAL ASSOCIATION for the ADVANCEMENT of WHITE PEOPLE

    link to this | view in thread ]


Follow Techdirt
Essential Reading
Techdirt Deals
Report this ad  |  Hide Techdirt ads
Techdirt Insider Discord

The latest chatter on the Techdirt Insider Discord channel...

Loading...
Recent Stories

This site, like most other sites on the web, uses cookies. For more information, see our privacy policy. Got it
Close

Email This

This feature is only available to registered users. Register or sign in to use it.