What are the major concerns about the FTAA intellectual property chapter?
In a nutshell, the FTAA’s IP chapter expands intellectual property holders’ rights at the expense of consumers’ rights. It dramatically expands criminal procedures and penalties against intellectual property infringement, including a proposed clause that would send P2P file-sharers to prison. It ignores traditional due process rights and procedural safeguards in matters involving intellectual property infringement. Another major concern with the overall FTAA process is the loss of national sovereignty as countries’ domestic laws are dictated to them by foreign treaty negotiators. IP Justice has published a White Paper entitled, “FTAA: A Threat to Freedom and Free Trade” that analyzes key sections of the FTAA Treaty’s intellectual property rights chapter.
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