TPP/EFF

For those in the United States, EFF are running an action campaign to lobby for greater transparency of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP). In a recent email to EFF members they wrote:

 This week in Dallas, trade representatives are secretly negotiating new regulations for the Internet – including intellectual property provisions that could choke off online speech. The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement may be even worse than ACTA; it could tie the hands of democratically-elected legislators and create new, international standards for intellectual property enforcement. Worst of all, Internet users and free expression advocates like EFF aren’t allowed in the room and are forbidden from seeing the negotiated text.... U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk claims they have made “extraordinary efforts” to include public stakeholders in negotiations, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Like ACTA, negotiations have actively excluded civil society and the public, while welcoming private industry representatives with open arms.... The public should be front and center in these negotiations, not relegated to a table outside.

Please take a moment to get involved by visiting the EFF action page here.

Further Information:

EFF, No Backroom Deals to Regulate the Internet: Speak Out Against the Trans-Pacific Partnership! (May 2012) < https://action.eff.org/o/9042/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=8229 > at 12 May 2012