2012: KEI asks Senator Leahy (D-VT) to demand greater transparency in the TPPA

On January 26, 2012, KEI sent a letter to Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, calling for greater transparency in the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA). The letter highlights the fact that the general public is kept in the dark regarding negotiating positions and the actual text while “cleared advisers” and corporate lobbyists have unequal access to information. It calls for Senator Leahy to urge the Obama Administration to release the negotiating text in order to allow full and effective public participation in our democratic society.

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Response to Federal Register notice seeking comments regarding Canada’s interest in TPPA negotiations

On December 7, 2011, USTR issued Federal Register Notice 76480-76481 requesting comments on “Canada’s Expression of Interest in the Proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership Trade Agreement.” USTR issued similar requests for comments regarding Japan’s (Notice 76478-76479) and Mexico’s (Notice 76479-76480) expression of interest in the TPPA.

KEI has submitted a response to this notice available for download here.

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KEI comments for House Committee on Ways and Means Hearing on Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA)

On Wednesday, December 14, 2011 the Subcommittee on Trade of the Committee on Ways and Means held a hearing on the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA). Oral testimony was accepted only from invited witnesses. These witnesses included: Ambassador Demetrios Marantis (Deputy U.S. Trade Representative), Devry S. Boughner (Director, Intenrational Business Relations on behalf of Cargill Inc. and U.S. Business Coalition for TPP), Angela Marshall Hofmann (Vice President for Global Integrated Sourcing on Trade, Wal-Mart Stores), and Michael Wessel (President of The Wessel Group).

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SCCR23: Statement by KEI on the protection of broadcasting organizations

With respect to broadcasting, KEI reiterates its opposition to work at WIPO on a new treaty for broadcasting organizations.

When governments grant intellectual property rights to broadcasting organizations, they undermine the rights of copyright holders, and reduce the incomes of creative communities.

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#SCCR23: Concluding remarks of Brazil

Thank you Mr. Chairman,

First, my delegation would like to congratulate you on the very good job performed as the Chairman of this Session of the SCCR. We also thank Assistant Director General, Mr. Trevor Clarke, and the Secretariat for all the hard work, and also the interpreters.

My delegation would like to extend its congratulations to all delegations, for their hard and constructive work along these two weeks of Session, and for the flexibility in order to reach acceptable solutions.

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European versus American interpretations of orphan works

The WIPO Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR) is now discussing the topic of orphan works in deliberations on limitations and exceptions for libraries and archives. The US has a broader view of what constitutes an orphan work compared with the European Union. Here are the interventions of both the US and EU taken from the WIPO lives stream for comparison.

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

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