Trans Pacific Partnership Negotiators Announce Conclusion of Negotiations
This morning, trade ministers from the twelve countries negotiating the Trans Pacific Partnership jointly announced that “we have successfully concluded the Trans-Pacific Partnership.” The U.S. Trade Representative has also released a summary of the agreement that has been reached. See statements from Sean Flynn, Michael Geist, Public Citizen, Médecins Sans Frontières, Knowledge Ecology International. See also the video of the press conference announcing the deal.
Chile Is Half-Way to Legally Killing Open Licenses for Audiovisual Works
[Luis Villarroel] Chile is about to become the first country to successfully kill creative commons and other open licensing for audiovisual works with a copyright bill that has been already approved in the House of Representatives in an unprecedented fast speed. It is now in the Senate. This dream bill for collective societies of rightholders is the Bill for Copyright for Audiovisual Authors. Here is a link to the bill and the legislative discussions. Here is how it works against open licensing. Click here for more.
The (Re-)return of the Monkey Selfie
[Annemarie Bridy] The monkey selfie is back. Again. This time in an improbable lawsuit for copyright infringement filed by an improbable plaintiff, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), on behalf of the improbable photographer—an Indonesian crested Macaque named, according to the complaint, Naruto. Click here for more.
Argentinian Legislators Introduce Plan to Extend Term of Copyright for Photographs
[Fundación Vía Libre, reporting that lawmakers have introduced a plan to extend the term of copyright protection to life of the author plus 70 years. This would apply retroactively, and Vía Libre has written lawmakers to express concern.] Los diputados del FPV Liliana Mazure, Gloria Bidegain, Susana Canela, Gastón harispe, Héctor Recalde y Eduardo Seminara impulsaron un proyecto para homologar la extensión de la duración del monopolio de propiedad intelectual sobre fotografía al de las demás obras, es decir, toda la vida del autor más 70 años después de su fallecimiento. Click here for more.
Investor-State Arbitration of IP Monopolies on Medicines – Eli Lilly v. Canada and the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement
[Brook K. Baker and Katrina Geddes] Abstract: Despite the deep irony of free trade agreements being subverted to codify and extend anti-competitive monopoly rights and despite the equally deep irony of foreign investors having greater enforcement rights than local investors, the joining of enhanced intellectual property rights (IPRs) and protections and strengthened investor rights is creating a wild-west opportunity for unbounded corporate power. Two current contestations show the dangers of this expanded power in sharp relief. Click here for more.
