TPP Behind Closed Doors: World Leaders Meet with Big Business to Chart Internet Future

60,000 People Did This in One Day

by OpenMedia.ca

Wow! It's incredible. Within just over one day over 60,000 people called on heads of state to say no to Internet censorship. Will you join them?

We've never seen a response like this. Thousands are signing up every hour. We even hit the front of Reddit, which nearly crashed our server. And momentum continues to grow - it's going viral. Will you be a part of it, Lex? This is our last chance to speak out because the meeting to impose website blocking and Internet shutdowns takes place in a matter of days. We need you to do your part - speak out now.

Stephen Harper is meeting in secret with Industry lobbyists and world leaders to finalize an extreme Internet censorship agreement called the TPP. The TPP will make the internet more expensive, censored and policed. In fact, it could even try to kick you off the Internet. We can stop them if you add your voice right now to our letter that will be sent to each head of state.

This could be it.

For the first time, actual Presidents and Prime Ministers of 12 powerful countries -- including Canada's Stephen Harper -- will meet behind closed doors to seal an extreme Internet censorship plan called the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) [1]

These secretive talks could decide the future of Canada's digital economy for years to come, but Canadian MPs, citizens, and public interest groups are locked out of the negotiations entirely. What's worse is that despite blocking Canadian parliamentarians from seeing the agreement, U.S. Congressmen are allowed to see exactly what's on the table. [2]

We know from leaked drafts [3] that the TPP will make the Internet more expensive, censored, and policed. Experts say, the TPP could actually kick you off the Internet by implementing a "Three Strikes You're Out" rule when dealing with possible copyright infringement [4].

Will Stephen Harper feel the pressure from industry lobbyists - or will he feel the pressure from you? Send decision-makers a powerful message before it's too late.

We're asking Canada's negotiators to please:

* Protect the right of everyone to access the Internet in their daily lives.
* Do not force ISPs to act as "Internet Police" monitoring our Internet use, censoring content, and removing whole websites. [5]
* Preserve the democratic rights of sovereign countries to draft their own copyright laws.

U.S. lobbyists don't have the best interests of Canadians at heart. If we don't speak up now these secretive, unfair and unbalanced negotiations will lead to a terrible deal for Canada.

This could be our last chance to speak out against the censorship rules contained in the TPP; negotiations have been ongoing for the last five years, but world leaders have stated they plan to "conclude the TPP discussions" in just a few days [6].

Thousands of people and over 30 major organizations from across the Trans-Pacific region are working together to keep the Internet open. Our public outcry has stopped TPP officials from finalizing the agreement so far but in a few days the door could close forever.

We know that when citizens speak out, decision-makers take notice. We cannot allow U.S. lobbyists to define Canada's digital future. Click here to send a simple message to Canada's negotiators: Please, say no to Internet censorship.

Together, we won't let them take away our digital rights.

For our future,

Steve and Jason on behalf of your vigilant OpenMedia team

PS: The Internet won't stay open on its own; speak out now to call on TPP negotiators to preserve our digital future.

Your support is critical in the fight to defend the possibilities of the open Internet.

Footnotes

[1] "Obama to Attend APEC, ASEAN Summits on October Asia Trip" Source: Bloomberg.com [ http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-09-14/obama-to-attend-apec-asean-summits-in-october-on-asia-trip.html ]

[2] "Trans-Pacific Partnership: Canadian MP's Have No Access To Drafts US Pols Can See, NDP Say's" Source: the Huffington Post [ http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/08/29/trans-pacific-partnership-canada-tpp_n_3838000.html?view=screen ]

[3] Leaked draft of TPP Intellectual Property Chapter. Source: Knowledge Ecology International [ http://keionline.org/sites/default/files/tpp-10feb2011-us-text-ipr-chapter.pdf ]

[4] What's actually in the TPP? Source: Public Knowledge [ http://www.publicknowledge.org/blog/whats-actually-tpp ]

[5] "TPP Creates Legal Incentives for ISPs to Police the Internet. What is at risk? Your rights." Electronic Frontier Foundation [ https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/08/tpp-creates-liabilities-isps-and-put-your-rights-risk ]

[6] US Envoy: TPPA talks to conclude next month. Source: FMT Malaysia [ http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/09/18/us-envoy-tppa-talks-to-conclude-next-month/ ]