Tag: OpenMedia

Campaigners vow “final battle” to prevent massive deal

Posted by | Feb 4, 2016 | , , |

Press Release – OpenMedia As TPP is signed in Auckland casino, campaigners vow final battle to prevent massive deal being ratifiedAs TPP is signed in Auckland casino, campaigners vow “final battle” to prevent massive deal being ratified Experts warn that extreme TPP intellectual property rules will cost Canadian economy billions, undermine digital rights, and restrict freedom of expression online February 3, 2016 – The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) has just been signed by Trade Ministers representing Canada and 11 other TPP nations encompassing over 40% of the global economy. A range of experts have warned that the TPP’s intellectual property chapter will undermine digital rights, restrict freedom of expression, and cause billions in economic damage. Today’s signing ceremony, which took place in Auckland’s Sky City Casino, does not mean the TPP has come into force; that will require at least 6 nations to formally ratify it. In Canada’s case, the government has promised a debate and vote in Parliament. Digital rights group OpenMedia is vowing to wage nation-by-nation campaigns to prevent the TPP coming into force. “The TPP is an extreme deal that will censor the Web, criminalize our online activities, and cost us money,” says Meghan Sali, Digital Rights Specialist with OpenMedia. “A casino is a fitting backdrop for industry lobbyists and government bureaucrats to gamble away our digital future. That said, this deal still needs to be ratified,...

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Canada is making a costly mistake by signing on to TPP

Posted by | Jan 26, 2016 | , , |

Press Release – OpenMedia Canada is making a costly mistake by signing on to TPP without any room for negotiationFor Immediate Release Canada is making a costly mistake by signing on to TPP without any room for negotiation TPP’s intellectual property provisions threaten Internet freedoms and will cost Canadian economy billions, experts warn January 25, 2016 – Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland today confirmed that Canada will sign on to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a massive deal that experts warn will threaten basic Internet freedoms and cost the economy billions. Ministers from the 12 TPP nations will be meeting next week in New Zealand to sign the deal. Digital rights group OpenMedia warns Canada is making a costly mistake, given that Minister Freeland has said previously that the deal is impossible to renegotiate. Signing the deal places Canada on the path to ratification, after which the TPP will come into force. Full ratification will require a majority vote in the House of Commons. “This is a bad deal for the Internet and a bad deal for our digital economy,” said Meghan Sali, OpenMedia’s Digital Rights Specialist. “Given that Minister Freeland has admitted that it’s impossible to renegotiate the TPP, and that we know this agreement will restrict our online freedoms and damage our economy, it’s irresponsible for Canada to continue pushing ahead with such a bad plan.” The TPP has...

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TPP text threatens Internet freedom: will Trudeau go along?

Posted by | Nov 6, 2015 | , , |

Press Release – OpenMedia November 5, 2015 Over a month since a deal was first announced , the full text of the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement has finally been revealed. The text, published today by the New Zealand government, will force Canada to overwrite its current balanced …Final TPP text threatens Internet freedom and will force Canada to overhaul copyright – but will Trudeau go along? Final text includes provisions to censor the Internet, rob the public domain, and force Canada to import U.S.-style copyright rules November 5, 2015 – Over a month since a deal was first announced, the full text of the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement has finally been revealed. The text, published today by the New Zealand government, will force Canada to overwrite its current balanced copyright regime with draconian U.S.-style rules, including a 20 year extension to copyright terms. New Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has yet to confirm whether Canada will ratify the TPP. Digital rights group OpenMedia has helped rally over 3.6 million people against the TPP’s secrecy, and warns the deal is a serious threat to Internet freedom. Key features include: inducing ISPs to block websites, a 20-year extension to Canada’s current 50-year copyright terms, threats to data privacy, and criminal penalties for circumventing digital locks. While other countries negotiated a transition period, no such provision exists for Canada. “Today’s release of the full TPP...

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WikiLeaks release of TPP Intellectual Property chapter

Posted by | Oct 10, 2015 | , , , |

Press Release – OpenMedia Confirmed: retroactive 20 year copyright term extensions, new rules that would induce ISPs to block websites, and criminal penalties for the circumvention of digital locksWikiLeaks release of TPP Intellectual Property chapter confirms agreement threatens Canada’s Internet freedom Confirmed: retroactive 20 year copyright term extensions, new rules that would induce ISPs to block websites, and criminal penalties for the circumvention of digital locks January 30, 2014 – This morning, WikiLeaks released the final version of the TPP’s Intellectual Property Chapter, just days after Trade Minister Ed Fast’s promise to release “a provisional copy” of the text for public scrutiny. Internet freedom group OpenMedia warns that the leak confirms Internet advocates greatest fears, including: new provisions that would induce Internet Service Providers to block websites without a court ruling, 20-year retroactive copyright term extensions, and new criminal penalties for the circumvention of digital locks. Reacting to the leak, OpenMedia’s Digital Rights Specialist Meghan Sali had this to say: “Canadians are going to see their democratically-created laws over-written in favour of laws that benefit giant, U.S. media conglomerates and censor the Internet,” Sali said. “And while the government has been busy trying to convince Canadians of the so-called benefits of this pact, they’ve silently traded away our digital future behind closed doors.” A statement released days ago by the New Zealand government, estimates the cost of copyright term...

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TPP agreement poses serious threat to global Internet users

Posted by | Oct 6, 2015 | , |

Press Release – OpenMedia October 4, 2015 The Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement reached today comes as the result of over five years of negotiations and poses an extreme threat to free expression online.Trans-Pacific Partnership countries announce agreement reached, posing serious threat to global Internet users Largest and most secretive agreement in the world’s history covers 40% of global trade and contains provisions to censor the Internet and rob the public domain October 4, 2015 – The Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement reached today comes as the result of over five years of negotiations and poses an extreme threat to free expression online. Although the full text of the deal won’t be available for a month, recent leaks of the TPP’s Intellectual Property chapter show Canada faces an overhaul of copyright legislation, including: 20 year copyright term extensions, new provisions that would allow ISPs to block websites due to alleged infringement, and new criminal penalties for the circumvention of digital locks and rights management information. “Canadians who care about the open Web should be very concerned about this ultra-secret pact, which could be disastrous for Canada’s digital economy,” said OpenMedia’s Digital Rights Specialist Meghan Sali. “What we’re talking about here is global Internet censorship. It will criminalize our online activities, censor the Web, and cost Canadians money. This deal would never pass with the whole world watching – that’s why they’ve negotiated it...

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