Trans Pacific Partnership Text Released 

  • Full Text, released November 5 by the New Zealand government. Link.
  • Kimberlee Weatherall. Section by Section Commentary on the TPP Final IP Chapter – Copyright. Link.
  • Michael Geist.  Official Release of TPP Text Confirms Massive Loss to Canadian Public Domain. Link.
  • Sean Flynn.  Statement on the Release of the TPP Text. Link.
  • Brook Baker. Big Pharma’s Monopolies Strengthen and Multiply in Trans Pacific Partnership Trade Agreement. Link.
  • James Love. TPP Has Provision Banning Requirements to Transfer of or Access to Source Code of Software. Link.
  • Ante Wessels. TPP – Rigged Investor-State Dispute Settlement. Link.
  • Burcu Kilic and Tamir Israel. The Highlights of the TPP e-Commerce Chapter. Link.
  • Jeremy Malcolm and Maira Sutton. Release of the Full TPP Text After Five Years of Secrecy Confirms Threats to Users’ Rights. Link.
  • Pedro Roffe, Xavier Seuba, and Mariano Genovesi. El TPP y la Propiedad Intelectual: Viejos Conocidos y Nuevos Desafíos. Link.
  • Reilly Yeo. What the Internet Needs vs. What the TPP Demands. Link.
  • Mike Palmedo. TPP Development Chapter Shall Not “Prevail” Over Any Other Chapter. Link.

Joint NGO Statement on the TRIPS Council Decision On Extension of the Transition Period Concerning Pharmaceutical Products

[Statement by 14 Civil Socity Groups] Today (6th November), the WTO-TRIPS Council adopted a decision granting Least Developed Countries (LDCs) an exemption from patents and test data protection for pharmaceutical products for a duration of 17 years. With this exemption, LDCs will not be obliged to implement or apply or to enforce patents as well as test data protection for pharmaceutical products until 1 January 2033. Click here for more.

Creative Commons Summit: Next Steps in Copyright Reform

[Alek Tarkowski] The Creative Commons Summit, a bi-annual meeting of members of the CC network and friends of the Commons, took place in mid-October in Seoul, South Korea. One of the event’s tracks was devoted to copyright reform advocacy. …In 2013, during the previous CC Summit, Creative Commons adopted a position on copyright reform. CC re-emphasized that even though the licenses are an essential mechanism to share creativity within the existing bounds of the law, it is now more important than ever to engage in a review and modernisation of copyright law itself. This commitment was confirmed during this year event. Click here for more.

Documentarians, Fair Use, and Free Expression: Changes in Copyright Attitudes and Actions with Access to Best Practices

[Patricia Aufderheide & Aram Sinnreich] Abstract: This study, based on a survey of 489 documentary filmmakers, is a case study in copyright policy in and through practice. It assesses the changes in documentary production practice around clearance of copyrighted material since the creation of the Documentary Filmmakers’ Statement of Best Practices in Fair Use in 2005. Click here for more.

Towards an Agreement on Biomedical Research and Development for the Public Benefit: Academia’s Urgent Call to Action

[Universities Allied for Access to Medicine, Sign-On Letter signed by 750+ Academics] As members of the international academic and scientific community, we call upon the member states of the World Health Organisation (WHO) to negotiate a much overdue global research and development (R&D) agreement to ensure innovation and access to affordable vaccines, medicines and life-saving technologies for all. Click here for more.

Medicines Patent Pool Expands Mandate to Hepatitis C and Tuberculosis Treatment

[MPP Press Release]  The Medicines Patent Pool (MPP), the world’s only voluntary licensing mechanism in public health, announced an expansion of its mandate today to hepatitis C and tuberculosis medicines. The UNITAID Executive Board, meeting November 4-5 in Geneva, approved the MPP’s proposals to improve access to both life-saving direct acting antivirals (DAAs) to treat hepatitis C and new and re-purposed medicines for tuberculosis. UNITAID created the MPP in 2010 to provide better health options for people living with HIV. To date, MPP has signed agreements for 12 antiretrovirals (ARVs) for countries home to 87-93% of people living with HIV in the developing world. Click here for more.

Internet Intermediaries Liability. Perspectives from the United States and Canada for Brazil

[Florian Martin-Bariteau] Abstract: The Marco civil da Internet establishes a brand new framework for liability of Internet intermediaries regarding third parties’ contents and activities. Besides providing general immunity schemes for Internet access providers and Internet application providers, Section III frames two derogatory regimes regarding revenge porn and copyright. The latter still needs to be designed. This chapter compares this new piece of legislation within both Canadian and United States frameworks. The analysis suggests Brazil is not the first to set different frameworks for varying matters. Based on fact that it is the only one to be consistent with principles set by the Marco civil da Internet, this paper will argue that Brazil should frame the upcoming copyright scheme with regards to Canada’s notice-and-notice framework. Click here for more.