Trans-Pacific Partnership to Increase Copyright Term in Six Nations

[SteveEisenberg]

As I interpret an official Trans-Pacific Partnership summary produced by the New Zealand government, the book copyright term will, if the TPP is ratified, increase to a minimum of life plus 70 years:

http://beehive.govt.nz/sites/all/fil...A-Oct-2015.pdf

TPP sets high standards in many areas. New Zealand is already an open, transparent and trade-friendly country, which means only a fraction of TPP’s obligations will require changes to New Zealand’s current practices.

The only significant cost comes from extending New Zealand’s copyright period from 50 to 70 years. This cost – in terms of foregone savings on books, films, music and other works – increases gradually over 20 years and averages around $55 million a year over the very long term.

I believe the affected countries are:

Brunei
Canada
New Zealand
Malaysia
Japan
Vietnam

One effect on Americans, like myself, is that we will no longer be able to legally load an eReader, when visiting Canada, with many books in the public domain there, but not in the US.

I infer from the word "gradually," in the New Zealand link, that works already in the public domain will stay there.

[GeoffR]

I wonder what this bit will mean in practice?

New Zealand has, however, agreed to extend its existing laws on technological protection measures (TPMs), which control access to digital content like music, TV programmes, films and software. Circumventing TPMs will be prohibited but exceptions will apply to ensure that people can still circumvent them where there is no copyright issue (for example, playing region-coded DVDs purchased from overseas) or where there is an existing copyright exception (for example, converting a book to braille)

[Dopedangel]

They are changing drm removal from a civil to a criminal offence. Looks like its good bye to Apprentice Alf.

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by Dopedangel

They are changing drm removal from a civil to a criminal offence. Looks like its good bye to Apprentice Alf.

Maybe in New Zealand. The blog can always be hosted in some country that does not have laws about this.

Also, if I buy some stuff, remove the DRM and then never put the un-DRM-ed material out there, who is going to check? HOW will you check, apart from dropping in with a search warrant or something?

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by SteveEisenberg

I infer from the word "gradually," in the New Zealand link, that works already in the public domain will stay there.

This is the way it was done in Australia, when it changed from life+50 to life+70 some years ago. Works that were already in the public domain stayed there; there was simply a 20-year hiatus on any new works entering the public domain.

[Greg Anos]

The devil is in the details....And the agreement text has still not been released...

I guess this will be another "we'll have to vote for to find out what's in it..."

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Ralph Sir Edward

The devil is in the details....And the agreement text has still not been released...

I guess this will be another "we'll have to vote for to find out what's in it..."

Will it affect the US, Ralph?

[Rizla]

Originally Posted by Dopedangel

They are changing drm removal from a civil to a criminal offence. Looks like its good bye to Apprentice Alf.

http://motherboard.vice.com/read/wha...as-just-signed

Drafts of the TPP’s intellectual property chapter, leaked as recently as July of 2015, describe new, mandatory criminal penalties for tinkerers who remove digital rights management (DRM) protections on products.

[Byrdie]

Well. I see Harper-Boy swallowed the poison and is now trying to tell us all how wonderful it tastes while shoving it down our throats. Ugh! Is there no end to this evil?

[Greg Anos]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Will it affect the US, Ralph?

How can i say until I can read the details? Particularly the IP details...

From Law360 (for pay legal website) "While the full TPP text will not be released for several weeks"

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Ralph Sir Edward

How can i say until I can read the details? Particularly the IP details...

From Law360 (for pay legal website) "While the full TPP text will not be released for several weeks"

Sorry, Ralph, I must have misunderstood you. I thought from your previous post that you were being asked to vote on the issue, and hence would have known what it was about. Presumably you will know what the text says before you vote?

[Greg Anos]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Sorry, Ralph, I must have misunderstood you. I thought from your previous post that you were being asked to vote on the issue, and hence would have known what it was about. Presumably you will know what the text says before you vote?

We don't vote on such things. Our representatives (Congress) does the voting. But I can't determine what the agreement means, and therefore it's effect on the US, until i can read what it actually says...

[apprenticeharper]

Originally Posted by Dopedangel

They are changing drm removal from a civil to a criminal offence. Looks like its good bye to Apprentice Alf.

To the best of my knowledge, removing DRM or providing DRM removal tools is only a criminal offence when done for "for purposes of commercial advantage or private financial gain".

Neither Alf nor I have ever asked for (or received) any financial reward for providing the tools.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Sorry, Ralph, I must have misunderstood you. I thought from your previous post that you were being asked to vote on the issue, and hence would have known what it was about. Presumably you will know what the text says before you vote?

The original line refers to a certain health care bill that Congress voted in before *any* of the pols read it. (In their "defense": 10,000 pages of agate text with so many dependencies not even the drafters know what will kick in when.)

The same likely applies go the TPP: it will likely take 10 years of legal wrangling before we know what the effects are for the US. This kind of monster package deal is so wrapped in legalese and hidden compromises it will take years of analysis to figure out what the words really mean.

Other nations will have to deal with their own repercussions as they are litigated.

[Rbneader]

TPP copyright provisions have been a worry in software for a long time. It's going to be brutal.

Although, salvation may come from an unexpected source - the EU has just tossed out the Safe Harbor provisions allowing data transfer due to the widespread wiretapping. TPP was built around a reality that included Safe Harbor, so it may well be that big business scrambles back from TPP until they can set up EU servers and renegotiate.