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Mass Pirates: ‘Stop Fast Track in Congress!’

By on May 7, 2015 10:01 AM


MassPirates.org blog, published April 18:

Already oppose Fast Track, TPP & TTIP? Help stop them!

Thursday Congressional leaders put forward a bill to “Fast Track” the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) deals.

If passed, TPP & TTIP would enshrine some of the worst proposals corporations and the entertainment industry have put forward. These treaties would criminalize copyright infringement and include:

  • Stronger DRM and “technological protection measure” regimes;
  • Make ISPs liable for copyright infringement on their networks;
  • Implement a “take it down first, argue later” DMCA-like process for notifying copyright infringements;
  • allow corporations to patent plants and animals;
  • potentially ban you from selling a product you bought abroad.

Both trade agreements would put in place or expand Investor State Dispute Settlements (ISDS) that allow corporations to challenge our laws if they at all hinder their present or potential profits. It has already happened in Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Guatemala. With TPP and TTIP, we will be next.

These are massive trade agreements that will impact our laws covering copyright, patents and our ability to regulate corporations. So far, the agreement has been negotiated in secret, save for a small army of “corporate advisers”. We only know about some of what is in it because of various leaks by Wikileaks and others.

Fast track effectively means that Congress will pass the agreement as the executive branch has negotiated it, without debate, and without giving the public the opportunity to weigh in. Since the negotiations have been conducted in secret, there’s no way our legislators could possibly know what they’re agreeing to. In fact, some of sections of the TPP are to be kept secret for four years after adoption.

These treaties are not about about trade. Whether with copyright, patents, DRM or corporate rights, they are simply tools to increase the power and profits of corporations at our expense.


Call your Senators and House Rep. and tell them to oppose Fast Track

Obama is promoting these horrid treaties, so simple majorities in both houses are needed for Congress to pass Fast Track. In this case, every vote counts.

Thankfully, much of the Mass. delegation questions the need for Fast Track, but we cannot trust that they will stand up for us. While Senator Warren has led the fight against it, others like Congressman Moulton are on the fence.

To find out who represents you in Congress, please visit Where Do I Vote MA and enter your address.

If you haven’t already, sign our petition to Senators Warren & Markey to oppose the CISA, the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act. Also, join us for PirateCon this Saturday, April 25th.

Here are other ways to stop these secret trade deals: