Canadian organizations join new coalition concerned with Internet censorship in controversial international agreement

The coalition is launching a website at www.OurFairDeal.org calling for TPP negotiators to “reject copyright proposals that restrict the open Internet, access to knowledge, economic opportunity and our fundamental rights.”

TPP meetings are taking place in Lima Peru from May 15th to May 25th. Negotiators are hoping the meetings will “accelerate” the closed-door process. New reports indicate copyright provisions are a “challenging” issue for those behind the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement.

“Unrestricted access to the open internet is fundamental to participation in 21st century society”, says Steve Anderson, Executive Director of OpenMedia.org. “Trade agreements must not require termination of Internet access for infringement of copyright or encourage ISPs to police Internet use.”

Between them, members of the Fair Deal coalition represent the interests of Internet users, schools, universities, artists, libraries and archives, the visually impaired, consumers, information technology firms, Internet businesses, and those who believe in the power of open source software and the open Internet as a driving force for innovation, development and socially responsible economic growth. Coalition members include industry groups, digital rights advocates, academics, and human rights organisations.

The coalition hopes that TPP negotiators will consider adopting a new approach that:

• Promotes access to knowledge, to innovation and to weightless economies,
• Respects for fundamental rights like due process, privacy and free speech, and
• Recognizes of the realities and opportunities of the Internet.

Susan Chalmers from InternetNZ said today, “A fair deal on copyright in the TPP takes into account the interests of internet users, libraries and archives, those with disabilities, educators and business innovators as well as creators. We’re all part of the Internet economy. The Fair Deal coalition is promoting fair copyright standards for the TPP that reflect the needs of the broadest cross-section of society.”

Executive Officer for the Australian Digital Alliance, Ellen Broad, notes the need to make sure any copyright standards agreed to in the TPP could keep pace with digital change: “Countries around the world are currently looking at their own copyright regimes and asking, ‘are these working in the digital age?’. And the answer has been no. The internet has changed so much about the way we create, disseminate and access content: it’s essential the TPP not lock in 20th century copyright standards, but focus on a healthy internet future - for both creators and consumers, distributors and innovators.”

The Fair Deal Coalition invites citizens to join the campaign by signing onto a statement of principle at: http://ourfairdeal.org

Contact

David Christopher
Communications Coordinator, OpenMedia
1-778-232-1858
[email protected]

About OpenMedia

OpenMedia is a grassroots group that fights for the open Internet, through OpenMedia International and OpenMedia.ca.

OpenMedia International brings the global pro-Internet community together, empowering people to participate in Internet governance through fresh and engaging citizens campaigns. We provide the Internet freedom movement with a platform to pressure leaders everywhere when bureaucrats and lobbyists threaten our digital future.

About the Our Fair Deal International coalition

Starting at first in New Zealand and then connecting with organizations and people internationally, a group of individuals from the fields of Internet policy, art, information technology and law got together to discuss a TPP campaign with a copyright focus. What resulted was the idea of a fair deal, one that opens up trade opportunities for TPP member states but doesn’t force copyright and other IP-related changes on us that could damage our future. If you represent an organization that would like to join the Fair Deal coalition fill in the form here.

Founding members of the Fair Deal coalition include:

Affinity Bridge, Australian Digital Alliance, Australian Library & Information Association, Association for Progressive Communications (APC), Internet NZ, BCFIPA, The Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic (CIPPIC), Consumers International, Council of Canadians, Creative Freedom, Demand Progress, Derechos Digitales, Electronic Frontiers Australia, Electronic Frontiers Foundation (EFF), Fight for the Future, GenWhy Media, Hiperderecho, Library & Information Society of New Zealand, NZRise, NZOSS, OpenMedia.org, Public Citizen, Public Knowledge, Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind, Scoop, TechDirt, Tech Liberty NZ, Tuanz, TradeMe