Thanks Stephen, I agree with others that this is a good idea for the Wikimedia Foundation to sign it.
Individuals and other organisations can also sign it following instructions here: http://keionline.org/nolifeplus70intpp The tweet announcing it is here https://twitter.com/jamie_love/status/408364405965873152 On Fri, Dec 6, 2013 at 5:56 AM, Stephen LaPorte <slapo...@wikimedia.org> wrote: > Hello advocacy advisers, > > Current drafts of the Trans Pacific Partnership[0], a new trade treaty > currently being negotiated, contains language that would require countries > that sign the treaty to extend the length of the minimum copyright term to > life of the author plus 70 years. Global treaties currently require only > life + 50 years, so the TPP would represent a widespread extension of > copyright terms by 20 years, and make it hard to roll back the copyright > term in countries that already have life + 70. > > The letter below[1], addressed to the TPP negotiators, directly addresses > this issue. We’re considering signing, because the letter is specifically > targeted at an issue (copyright term) that is core to our encyclopedic > mission, and affects (at present) 14 different countries. > > Does the advisory group have any thoughts about joining the letter? We would > like to let KEI know if we will join the letter before December 7, 2013. > > [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans-Pacific_Partnership ; > http://tppinfo.org/ > > (We briefly mentioned TPP in the Wikilegal fact sheet on ACTA in January > 2012. If anyone is interested in updating that document, feel free to get in > touch! See: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikilegal/ACTA) > > [1] http://keionline.org/nolifeplus70intpp > > -- > > The letter was prepared by Knowledge Ecology International, and will be > joined by like-minded organizations including the Open Knowledge Foundation, > Electronic Frontier Foundation, and Free Software Foundation. > > Full copy of the letter: > > Dear TPP negotiators, > > In a December 7-10 meeting in Singapore you will be asked to endorse a > binding obligation to grant copyright protection for 70 years after the > death of an author. We urge you to reject the life+ 70 year term for > copyright. > > There is no benefit to society of extending copyright beyond the 50 years > mandated by the WTO. While some TPP countries, like the USA, Mexico, Peru, > Chile or Australia, already have life+ 70 (or longer) copyright terms, there > is growing recognition that such terms were a mistake, and should be > shortened, or modified by requiring formalities for the extended periods. > > The primary harm from the life+ 70 copyright term is the loss of access to > countless books, newspapers, pamphlets, photographs, films, sound recordings > and other works that are “owned” but largely not commercialized, forgotten, > and lost. The extended terms are also costly to consumers and performers, > while benefiting persons and corporate owners that had nothing to do with > the creation of the work. > > Life+70 is a mistake, and it will be an embarrassment to enshrine this > mistake into the largest regional trade agreement ever negotiated. > > -- > Stephen LaPorte > Legal Counsel > Wikimedia Foundation > > This message might have confidential or legally privileged information in > it. If you have received this message by accident, please delete it and let > us know about the mistake. For legal reasons, I may only serve as an > attorney for the Wikimedia Foundation. This means I may not give legal > advice to or serve as a lawyer for community members, volunteers, or staff > members in their personal capacity. > > _______________________________________________ > Advocacy_Advisors mailing list > advocacy_advis...@lists.wikimedia.org > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/advocacy_advisors > -- John Vandenberg _______________________________________________ Wikimediaau-l mailing list Wikimediaau-l@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediaau-l
