IFLA and Other Library Organisations Express Concern About the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA)

UPDATE: European Parliament votes 478 to 39 to reject ACTA (via KEI)

From IFLA:

Between July 2-10 in San Diego, United States, negotiators from nine countries are meeting in to discuss the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA). The TPPA is a multilateral trade agreement between Brunei Darussalam, Chile, Vietnam, Malaysia, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Peru and Singapore, covering all aspects of commercial relations between the countries.
IFLA, along with organisations representing the library community in some of the countries participating in the TPPA, is concerned that the TPPA’s extensive intellectual property chapter does not reflect the balance necessary to protect the public domain and the ways in which society may access and use content. Presently, exceptions to copyright protection are noticeably absent from leaked drafts of this ‘gold standard’ IP agreement for the 21st century.
As with the flawed Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), which was today rejected by the European Parliament, library groups have been concerned throughout the TPPA negotiations regarding the lack of transparency related to its procedures, provisions, and priorities. IFLA, alongside nine other library organisations, has today issued a statement on the TPPA which outlines our concerns, and reiterates the role libraries play in fostering equitable access to information and cultural expression, while ensuring that the interests of creators are respected and protected.

Read the Complete Statement

List of 10 Organizations Signing Statement

International Federation of Library Associations & Institutions (IFLA)
American Library Association (ALA)
Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL)
Association of Research Libraries (ARL)
Australian Libraries Copyright Committee (ALCC)
Canadian Library Association/Association Canadienne des Bibliothèques (CLA)
Library & Information Association of New Zealand Aotearoa (LIANZA)
Library Association of Chile (CBC)
Peruvian College of Librarians (CBP)
Vietnam Library Association (VLA)
See Also: How access to knowledge may be restricted under the TPP (Australian Digital Alliance; March 4, 2012)
See Also: USTR Introduces New Copyright Exceptions and Limitations Provision at San Diego TPP Talks (via USTR)
Hat Tip: Peter B.

Filed under: Academic Libraries, Associations and Organizations, Libraries, News