“Roses are red
Violets are blue
I love the TPP
And so should you”
That’s how the Global Intellectual Property Center’s open love letter to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) starts off. The Global Intellectual Property Center is part of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which confusingly is not a government agency, but an ordinary lobbying group.
The Center is deeply in love with all aspects of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, including its chapter on intellectual property enforcement: “My creative and innovative talents need your protection. Without trade agreements like you, it would be a long, hard journey to jumpstart our economies.”
As of now, there are no signs the Center will have its heart broken. The Obama administration is seeking “fast track” authority, or “trade promotion authority”, to further negotiate the TPP without much intervention by the U.S. Congress. It’s now up to Congress to decide whether it will grant that authority. Discussions in Congress have already started.
Hat tip to EFF.
copyright, intellectual property, TPP, Trans-Pacific Partnership
