TPP: The Biggest Threat to the Internet You've Probably Never Heard Of

The biggest threat to the internet you’ve probably never heard of.

The TPP is the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement.

TPP is a trade agreement being negotiated between more than 12
countries around the Pacific region.

It has more than 26 chapters. And it covers a broad spectrum of issues.

From trade of dairy, meat, textiles, and automobiles.

To financial regulation, the labor regulations and more.

But one chapter put a huge threat to the Internet.

The chapter concerning intellectual property enforcement.

We can’t exactly know what’s in that chapter.

Because TPP is being negotiated in secret. There are serious
Back-room deals that shut out the public.

Trade officials won’t release the text in the agreement.

Or even tell us what their policy positions are. On any issue.

One thing we know is that while the public shut out of the negotiating process
Private corporate interests aren’t.

In particular, big content industries are spending ginormous amount of money.

And lobbying to convince policymakers that more aggressive draconian copyright laws.

Lead to more innovations more creativity and more jobs.

But in reality that just isn’t the case.

If adopted copyright enforcement measures proposed in the TPP

Can make the internet intimidating and repressive

users will be afraid to view, share

and interact with digital content

an early version of the text has the lead
and you should be worried about what’s inside.

Internet service provider can be forced to become private copyright enforcers

Less they risk liability for the content posted by their users

For the TPP include certain protection from liability

Experienced with similar provisions in the US.

Suggest that ISPs will be encouraged to take down, filter and block legitimate content

Requiring only a private notice from an alleged copyright holder.

The copyright industry is obsessed with

Restricting users from tinkering with devices and content

Out of the fear that people will then use them for copyright infringing purposes

So what they do is installed digital rights management software,or DRM.

On devices to limit what users can do

Despite growing evidence that DRM does much more harm than good.

This prevents consumers from unlocking their phones to change telecom carriers.

Artists like documentary filmmakers who break encryption on a DVD

Or sample online streaming videos could face legal threats even if the video
They create are legal.

People with visual or hearing disabilities can be prevent from

Changing the format of books and movies to make them more accessible

Not only that, DRM back by the full force of the law

Can be used to stifle competition

for example, a company can block unauthorized software or content
from working with their devices just by enabling DRM

corporations claim that DRM is necessary to fight copyright infringement online and
keep consumers safe from viruses

but there’s no evidence that DRM does much combat either of those things

fans should not be treated like criminals

and companies should not get an automatic veto help over user creativity choice and innovation.

These are only some of the problems with the TPP's copyright enforcement provisions

They would be harmful for everyone except for companies

That use these policies to suppress innovative competitors
Or to criminalize sharing

instead of spending their resources to create new products

that respect the Internet and new technologies

they are lobbying for policies that would hinder and break them.

Severe Copyright policy restrict our right to share modify and experiment with content and technology

Innovation cannot thrive without thrive without these freedoms

internet users need to know what is going on

in the secret trade negotiations

internet users have a right to participate in this powerful international deal

that would impact millions of lives applies for decades to come

let’s show our policymakers that we won’t let back room trade deals determine what we can do with our technology

let’s show them that we the users are unified against corporate efforts to restrict our rights

the internet is ours. It’s up to us to defend it.