<<http://ipjustice.org/FTAA/IPJ_FTAA_White_Paper_r_1_2.html>> ... The Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) Treaty[1] is a comprehensive regional trade agreement between all 34 democracies in the Western Hemisphere, including the US, and covering a population of over 800 million people. Similar to the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), FTAA will compel the nations of the Americas to pass new laws on a broad range of issues, including intellectual property rights.
In order to get the trade benefits from membership in the world�s largest trading bloc, FTAA countries must amend their domestic laws to be in compliance with the treaty�s requirements. The US government can bring economic trade sanctions against FTAA countries that refuse to adhere to treaty obligations. The US wields enormous economic power to compel other nations to amend their internal laws and comply with trade agreements. Negotiations over the subject matter and text of the FTAA Agreement began in 1994 at the Summit of the Americas in Miami and will conclude by January 2005, with the Treaty to take force by the end of 2005. From November 16-21, 2003 FTAA Trade Ministers from across the Hemisphere will meet in Miami for the next Ministerial to debate the current draft of the treaty.[2] The Office of the US Trade Representative (USTRO) negotiates on behalf of the US in the FTAA Treaty negotiation process.[3] In 2003 US President Bush has been granted �fast track� authority on international trade agreements in 2003, so members of US Congress, who are more directly accountable to the public, no longer hold power over trade agreements such as FTAA. The FTAA Treaty is already controversial for its treatment of human rights, labor, and environmental issues.[4] An analysis of the Treaty�s draft chapter on intellectual property rights[5] reveals equally extreme and unbalanced provisions that dramatically expand intellectual property rights at the expense of civil liberties.[6] For example one proposed clause threatens to fill the Americas� prisons with people who share music over the Internet. Unless the draft intellectual property chapter is substantially reformed or deleted in its entirety, the treaty will grant even greater control to major intellectual property holders to chill freedom of expression, prevent competition, restrict consumer rights, and stifle innovation. ... _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
