Public Interest Organizations to Address Closed-Door Negotiation of International Intellectual Property Agreement in Los Angeles

When	January 30, 2012 9:30AM, PST
Where	The USC University Club 645 West Exposition Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90089-1161 Map and parking instructions
Contacts	CONTACT SHEET FOR T.P.P. PRESS CONTACTS
Webcast	http://infojustice.org/tppbriefing.

This event is sponsored by American University’s Program on Information Justice and Intellectual Property and the non-profit advocacy organization Knowledge Ecology International.  It is free and open to the public.

A live webcast of the event will be available at: http://infojustice.org/tppbriefing

Background

In the context of increasing public scrutiny of the public interest implications of intellectual property laws raised by the recent derailing of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), U.S. and international negotiators will be meeting in Los Angeles behind closed doors to craft new international intellectual property enforcement rules through the proposed Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade agreement. Some of the proposals for the agreement have leaked to the public, leading some to raise concerns that the agreement could threaten Internet freedoms, business innovation, the free flow of generic medicines, cost containment in medicaid and other medicine reimbursement programs and other important public interests. Although there has been no official announcement about the planned meeting, public interest advocacy organizations have determined that intellectual property negotiations will be held January 31-Feb 4th at a hotel in West Hollywood. The day before the negotiation, representatives of public interest organizations and regulated businesses will gather at USC to explain their substantive concerns with previously leaked negotiating documents and their process concerns with holding such negotiations in secret. Following the conclusion of the event at 11:30am, speakers will be available for individual press interviews.

9:30am – Introduction

• Sean Flynn, Associate Director, Program on Information Justice and Intellectual Property, American University Washington College of Law

9:40-10:20am – Copyright and the Internet

• Krista Cox, Staff Attorney, Knowledge Ecology International [Statement of KEI on the TPP]
• Jonathan Band, intellectual property attorney in Washington, D.C. whose clients include the Computer & Communications Industry Association [Handout: SOPA and Its Implications for TPP]  | [CCIA Press Release: Study Shows Growing Entertainment Choices, Industry Profits]
• Matt Zimmerman, Electronic Frontier Foundation [Presentation: Freedom of Expression, Privacy, and the TPP]
• David Fewer, Director, Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic, University of Ottawa [Presentation: Canada and the TPP]

10:25-10:55am – Access to Medicines and Development

• Judit Rius, US Manager of the Access Campaign of Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) [Background: Access to Lifesaving Generic Medicines Threatened by US Trade Pact]
• Peter Maybarduk, Director, Access to Medicines Campaign, Public Citizen [Brief: Obama Administration Backtracking from Bush Era Access to Medicines Commitments | Spanish Version]
• Matt Kavanagh, Health GAP [Presentation: Deadly decisions for People living with HIV]
• Ellen Shaffer, Center for Policy Analysis on Trade and Health [Presentation: Tobacco Industry Expropriates Intellectual Property Rules], [Handout: Testimony to House Ways and Means Committee]

11:00-11:30 – Q&A

• Moderator, Jack Lerner, Clinical Associate Professor of Law and Director of the USC Intellectual Property and Technology Law Clinic

To register for the free and public event, please fill out the form below.