Secret negotiations, empty promises: Copyright policymaking needs sunlight for better outcomes

We’re taking part in Copyright Week, a series of actions and discussions supporting key principles that should guide copyright policy. Every day this week, various groups are taking on different elements of the law, and addressing what’s at stake, and what we need to do to make sure that copyright promotes creativity and innovation. Today’s … Read More “Secret negotiations, empty promises: Copyright policymaking needs sunlight for better outcomes”

TPP continues without the worst copyright provisions

Civil society organisations including Creative Commons helped deliver a win against the restrictive IP terms of the TPP, which were developed secret and would have locked down content and restricted user rights. For the last five years the Creative Commons community has been organising against the restrictive copyright provisions put forth in the Trans-Pacific Partnership … Read More “TPP continues without the worst copyright provisions”

Trade agreements like TPP need radical transparency and meaningful public participation

Rolling Rebellion Sparks in Seattle to Defend Internet & Stop the TPP by Backbone Campaign, CC BY 2.0 Creative Commons and an international coalition of organizations and individuals has published the Brussels Declaration on Trade and the Internet. It follows the recent ceremonial signing of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). The TPP is an example of a trade … Read More “Trade agreements like TPP need radical transparency and meaningful public participation”

There’s still time to stop the TPP

TPPA Signing Protest in Auckland, by Prosperosity, CC BY-SA 4.0 Last week, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)—the massive multilateral trade agreement negotiated in secret among government and industry representatives—was signed by officials in New Zealand. When the final text of the TPP was released in November 2015, we wrote about how the agreement is a direct … Read More “There’s still time to stop the TPP”

Trans-Pacific Partnership Would Harm User Rights and the Commons

The final text of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) was released earlier this month. The gigantic agreement contains sweeping provisions regarding environmental regulation, pharmaceutical procurement, intellectual property, labor standards, food safety, and many other things. If adopted, it would be the most significant expansion of international restrictions on copyright in over two decades. Over the last five years, the TPP … Read More “Trans-Pacific Partnership Would Harm User Rights and the Commons”

48 Civil Society Groups Demand Public Release of TPP Agreement Text

Today Creative Commons and 47 civil society organizations and academics released a letter (PDF) calling on negotiators of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) to publish the draft text of the agreement. Up until now the text of the TPP has been developed mostly in secret by the 12 negotiating countries. Wikileaks published a draft text of … Read More “48 Civil Society Groups Demand Public Release of TPP Agreement Text”

An Open Letter to TPP Negotiators: Copyright Term Extension Makes No Sense

EFF / CC BY Today, Creative Commons and over 35 other organizations published an open letter urging negotiators of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) to rescind a proposal to extend copyright terms by another 20 years beyond its current, mandatory term. This week, 12 Pacific rim countries are meeting in Ottawa, Canada, to continue secret negotiations … Read More “An Open Letter to TPP Negotiators: Copyright Term Extension Makes No Sense”