<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div><br></div><blockquote type="cite"><div><b>From:</b> Manon Ress <<a href="mailto:manon.ress@keionline.org">manon.ress@keionline.org</a>><br><b>Date:</b> December 4, 2013 at 6:30:29 PM PST<br><b>To:</b> a2k discuss list <<a href="mailto:a2k@lists.keionline.org">a2k@lists.keionline.org</a>><br><b>Subject:</b> <b>[A2k] Sign-on Letter -- Against life + 70 year copyright term in the TPP</b><br><br></div></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><div><span>From: Krista L. Cox <<a href="mailto:krista.cox@keionline.org">krista.cox@keionline.org</a>></span><br><span>Date: Wed, Dec 4, 2013 at 9:09 PM</span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span>Dear All,</span><br><span></span><br><span>Here is a sign-on letter opposing a copyright term of life plus seventy</span><br><span>years in the TPP. This will be a political issue at the TPP Ministerial in</span><br><span>Singapore which begins on December 7. If you'd like to sign on, please</span><br><span>send me an e-mail letting me know ASAP.</span><br><span></span><br><span>Best,</span><br><span>Krista</span><br><span></span><br><span><a href="http://keionline.org/nolifeplus70intpp">http://keionline.org/nolifeplus70intpp</a></span><br><span></span><br><span>This is sign-on Letter -- Against life+ 70 year copyright term in the TPP.</span><br><span>See end of letter for details on how to sign.</span><br><span></span><br><span><-------------------begin letter-----------</span><br><span>December 9, 2013</span><br><span></span><br><span>Dear TPP negotiators</span><br><span></span><br><span>In a December 7-10 meeting in Singapore you will be asked to endorse a</span><br><span>binding obligation to grant copyright protection for 70 years after the</span><br><span>death of an author. We urge you to reject the life+ 70 year term for</span><br><span>copyright.</span><br><span></span><br><span>There is no benefit to society of extending copyright beyond the 50 years</span><br><span>mandated by the WTO. While some TPP countries, like the USA, Mexico, Peru,</span><br><span>Chile or Australia, already have life+ 70 (or longer) copyright terms,</span><br><span>there is growing recognition that such terms were a mistake, and should be</span><br><span>shortened, or modified by requiring formalities for the extended periods.</span><br><span></span><br><span>The primary harm from the life+ 70 copyright term is the loss of access to</span><br><span>countless books, newspapers, pamphlets, photographs, films, sound</span><br><span>recordings and other works that are “owned” but largely not commercialized,</span><br><span>forgotten, and lost. The extended terms are also costly to consumers and</span><br><span>performers, while benefiting persons and corporate owners that had nothing</span><br><span>to do with the creation of the work.</span><br><span></span><br><span>Life+70 is a mistake, and it will be an embarrassment to enshrine this</span><br><span>mistake into the largest regional trade agreement ever negotiated.</span><br><span></span><br><span>Sincerely,</span><br><span></span><br><span>---------end letter--------></span><br><span></span><br><span>To sign, fill out this information and <a href="mailto:krista.cox@keionline.org">mailto:krista.cox@keionline.org</a></span><br><span>Names __________________________</span><br><span>Organization (if any): _______________________</span><br><span>City, State and Country _______________________________________</span><br><span>Email Address: _____________________________________</span><br><span>Optional: Comments, if any on this issue (for an annex to the letter).</span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span>-- </span><br><span>Krista L. Cox</span><br><span>Staff Attorney</span><br><span>Knowledge Ecology International</span><br><span><a href="http://www.keionline.org">www.keionline.org</a></span><br><span>(202) 332-2670</span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span>-- </span><br><span>Manon Ress, Ph.D.</span><br><span>Knowledge Ecology International, KEI</span><br><span><a href="mailto:manon.ress@keionline.org">manon.ress@keionline.org</a>, tel.: +1 202 332 2670</span><br><span><a href="http://www.keionline.org">www.keionline.org</a></span><br><span>_______________________________________________</span><br><span>A2k mailing list</span><br><span><a href="mailto:A2k@lists.keionline.org">A2k@lists.keionline.org</a></span><br><span><a href="http://lists.keionline.org/mailman/listinfo/a2k_lists.keionline.org">http://lists.keionline.org/mailman/listinfo/a2k_lists.keionline.org</a></span><br></div></blockquote></body></html>