Canada & Korea Show Trade Treaties Can Skip Copyright Rule Changes

An anonymous reader writes "Canada and South Korea announced agreement on a comprehensive trade agreement earlier today. Michael Geist reports that the intellectual property chapter is significant for what it does not include. Unlike many other trade deals — particularly those involving the U.S., European Union, and Australia — the Canada-South Korea deal is content to leave domestic intellectual property rules largely untouched. Instead, the approach is to reaffirm the importance of intellectual property and ensure that both countries meet their international obligations, but not to use trade agreements as a backdoor mechanism to increase IP protections. That means no copyright term extension, no three-strikes and you're out rules, and increase to pharma patents."

Comments

No, seriously

[oldhack]

Take it back. No joke.

Sorry, you lost the hockey game

[Piata]

You owe us beer and get to keep Bieber until the next Winter Olympics.

Re:Sorry, you lost the hockey game

[Atticka]

Two cases of beer have been delivered to Harper already!

The U.S. just needs to lock up Bieber and we're good.

Re:Knowing Harper

[Anonymous Coward]

I love you guys (sarcastically). This government does something nice, and you still spew vitriol. They try to increase competition in the telecom space, and you still find something to complain about.

It's because the US isn't involved

[tlhIngan]

Face it, the only country that keeps pushing for IP protections is the largest IP producer of them all - the United States. If the US was involved in the trade talks, IP would've been on the table.

But between South Korea and Canada? Both aren't really well known heavy IP producers - sure there are plenty of content produced, but it's but a tiny part of the economies, and people don't generally associate various IP products with Canada. Think of movies, you think Hollywood. Etc. The US is all about exporting its culture through IP products.

After all, what's there to protect? Samsung can steal the latest design for the Blackberry for what anyone really cares about. Unless you orient your keys a certain way, that is.

Re:It's because the US isn't involved

[boojumbadger]

Seems to me that by ratifying this Canada can no longer support the extreme measures reported of the TPP. South Korea is apparently interested in joining the negotiations on that deal too. Then again, consistency has never been a politician's friend. Their friends in Big Business rely on the inconsistencies for maximum payouts through lawsuits.

Re:It's because the US isn't involved

[AdamWill]

Canada produces plenty of copyrighted works, sure. We don't exactly *export* a lot of them, though. I'm not sure how much demand there is in South Korea for episodes of Trailer Park Boys, Murdoch Mysteries or Corner Gas, and those are some of Canadian TV's success stories. :)

That would be because it's *Canada*

[msobkow]

Canada never *has* tried to force other nations to bow to our will, much the will of Hollywood, unlike the Jackboot States of America.

With the US, every agreement has "riders" and "add-ons" that have nothing to do with the primary intent of the agreement. I believe this stems from the US habit of running all their legislation with such "back door" items buried in the fine print of Congress.

Re:That would be because it's *Canada*

[Anonymous Coward]

...as opposed to Harper's 'omnibus' 400 page budgets that end up burning libraries?

http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/7058/196/

http://bibliocracy-now.tumblr.com/post/74860540852/order-paper-reveals-dfo-library-situation-far-worse

Re:That would be because it's *Canada*

[AdamWill]

What exactly are we building those absurd arctic "patrol ships" for, do you think? Patrolling? For...polar bear poachers?

hmm obviously

[grumpyman]

There aren't a lot of content that's flowed/wanted between the 2 countries - why bother. Like Canadian interests of Korean drama, or Korean appetite for Tie Domi doing figure skating.

Re:hmm obviously

[AdamWill]

I'm assuming the OP is Canadian. I doubt many Americans would manage the "Tie Domi doing figure skating" reference.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

(basically, it's Dancing with the Stars...ON ICE!)

Products

[DarthVain]

Seeing as most of the trade seems to consists of things like "Wood" and "Food" I doubt IP is really a big deal for either.

Re:Products

[Flammon]

What about Hyundai and Kia? I'm looking forward to paying less for a car.

Re:Products

[DarthVain]

Sure yes, however in terms of actual trade value it is about a magnitude less. Which makes Ford Canada bitching about it humorous.

Car Import/Export I read is worth about 50$ Million bucks between the two countries (a year).

Between Wood and Food, the value is 1.5$ Billion. So 1500$ Million VS 50$ Million.

Perhaps that value will change now with less tariffs, who knows... However the tariffs were also lifted on the main exports as well...

Re:Knowing Harper

[Mashiki]

Meh why be shocked at this behavior from the left? Unless it's attacking the US for being the US like the liberals did when they were in power it's pretty much all the same. And while I'm not super impressed with everything Harper has done, the diversification that we've gotten under him as well as trade deals far outstrips what the previous governments did in the past. When they were content for Canada to be a one-trick-pony only selling our goods south.

Re:Knowing Harper

[Flammon]

I agree. It took a while but Harper is starting to prove himself. Freetrade agreements with Europe and South Korea and with more countries in the works. Great moves for the economy and wealth building.