Revealed Emails Show How Industry Lobbyists Basically Wrote The TPP

[friendly_iconoclast]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by TexasTowelie (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Source: Techdirt

Back in 2013, we wrote about a FOIA lawsuit that was filed by William New at IP Watch. After trying to find out more information on the TPP by filing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, and being told that they were classified as "national security information" (no, seriously), New teamed up with Yale's Media Freedom and Information Access Clinic to sue. As part of that lawsuit, the USTR has now released a bunch of internal emails concerning TPP negotiations, and IP Watch has a full writeup showing how industry lobbyists influenced the TPP agreement, to the point that one is even openly celebrating that the USTR version copied his own text word for word.

What is striking in the emails is not that government negotiators seek expertise and advice from leading industry figures. But the emails reveal a close-knit relationship between negotiators and the industry advisors that is likely unmatched by any other stakeholders.

The article highlights numerous examples of what appear to be very chummy relationships between the USTR and the "cleared advisors" from places like the RIAA, the MPAA and the ESA. They regularly share text and have very informal discussions, scheduling phone calls and get togethers to further discuss. This really isn't that surprising, given that the USTR is somewhat infamous for its revolving door with lobbyists who work on these issues. In fact, one of the main USTR officials in the emails that IP Watch got is Stan McCoy, who was the long term lead negotiator on "intellectual property" issues. But he's no longer at the USTR -- he now works for the MPAA...

...Perhaps the most incredible, is the email from Jim DeLisi, from Fanwood Chemical, to Barbara Weisel, a USTR official, where DeLisi raves that he's just looked over the latest text, and is gleeful to see that the the rules that have been agreed up on are "our rules" (i.e., the lobbyists'), even to the point that he (somewhat confusingly) insists "someone owes USTR a royalty payment." While it appears he's got the whole royalty system backwards (you'd think an "IP advisor" would know better...) the point is pretty clear: the lobbyists wrote the rules, and the USTR just put them into the agreement. Weisel's response? "Well there's a bit of good news..."

Read more: https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20150605/11483831239/revealed-emails-show-how-industry-lobbyists-basically-wrote-tpp.shtml

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Us proles need to remember that we're not important enough to see these- nor are
Congressional aides, for that matter

But lobbyists are...

[marym625]

1. THANKS for this!

K&R!

[villager]

2. It is, sadly, increasingly "transparent" what our current administration is up to.

Alas.

[liam_laddie]

3. Kick +1MM

and 1MM more!

[friendly_iconoclast]

4. Here's a link to the IP Watch site:

http://www.ip-watch.org/2015/06/05/confidential-ustr-emails-show-close-industry-involvement-in-tpp-negotiations/

[rhett o rick]

5. The anti-progressives try to argue that the corporatists didn't write the TPP. But they

have no suggestions as to who did.

The secrecy of "trade agreements" is being abused to hide damaging non-trade sections included in the agreement.

The anti-progressives are saying we should blindly trust Pres Obama and the corporate lobbyists.

[BeanMusical]

13. But but it's only a draft! And Obama would never do something that hurts the American people!1!!

[Fast Walker 52]

17. the only question is whether he is sincere and deluded or

cynically lying.

[BeanMusical]

20. I pick number 2.

[jalan48]

6. Any word yet where the other Democratic Presidential candidates are on this issue?

[ToxMarz]

7. Scary that even the Lobbyist is amazed they actually included his text verbatim

Probably expected and would have been thrilled to get a fraction of what he asked for. He thought they were negotiating when all they were doing is transcribing.

[friendly_iconoclast]

8. Searchable versions of the emails are available via the Electronic Frontier Foundation:

https://www.eff.org/cases/ip-watch-v-ustr

https://www.eff.org/document/foia-released-emails-between-ustr-and-lobbyists-searchable-1-4

https://www.eff.org/document/foia-released-emails-between-ustr-and-lobbyists-searchable-2-4

https://www.eff.org/document/foia-released-emails-between-ustr-and-lobbyists-searchable-3-4

https://www.eff.org/document/foia-released-emails-between-ustr-and-lobbyists-searchable-4-4

[neverforget]

9. It's a corporate world and we're just living in it.

They have the money and the power. We have the votes.....yet.

[newthinking]

10. This is backward. There need to be citizen's groups with maybe corporate advising

I am a big fan of having comittee's with citizens/scientists/ yes corporate staff but not all corporate staff.

[cui bono]

11. k n r

[Sunlei]

12. It's not new that 'industry lobbyists' and 'corp lobbyists' write plenty of our bills and deals.

The lobbyists swarm around all our Gov. leadership and do ALL the "paperwork" for many of them.

[Rex]

14. You mean just like Citi-bank wrote this last cromnibus bill for Congress?

Yeah...they really do want it all.

[Plucketeer]

15. If I remember right....

we JUST saw our great Democrat President reassure us minions that he wouldn't push anything that he didn't feel good about. Anything that wasn't going to prove to be a BOON for we wee ones in the way of prosperity and industrial dominance, HE would not embrace.

Yet he's been about as transparent as an inch thick sheet of lead - keeping even our elected representatives from getting a comprehensive gander at the TPP And TIPP. And then we see something like this. I wanna ask...... is there a difference in your minds between the words: "Deceiver" and "Liar" ? Are either of those descriptors inappropriate here? If not - why not?

[stuffmatters]

16. TPP is the penultimate ALEC Bill Mill product & Fast Track its Dream Machine

[Fast Walker 52]

18. sick, and so sick of this

[polynomial]

19. The electronic banking system is backwards

The TPP is just a small part of the problem…

Reading the book called “Future Crimes” by Marc Goodman, only in chapter five now, however, my intuition is developing a fundamental the American electronic banking system is economically engineered ass backwards.

This is done with laws and mathematical algorithms currently against the common citizen, worse done with legal legislation that is predatory driven to the advantage of corporations that have breached the personal domain in the fourth, and fifth Amendment aiding identity theft.

Especially, in the fifth, the Amendment requires that the power of Eminent Domain be coupled with "just compensation" for those whose property is taken.

The American Senate Banking Committee is a disgrace and should be identified as such to be held accountable for the economic disaster that is surrounding America with this right in a citizen’s right in Eminent Domain measured as is the corporate.

This needs to be in the debate because the economic calculus clearly shows the Republicans of this age have breached the definition of being Conservative.

[Dont call me Shirley]

21. Call the whitehouse and congress to oppose these corporate global laws (their constitution)

Whitehouse Comments: 202-456-1111

United States Capitol switchboard: 202-224-3121

[Enthusiast]

22. You understand, this is why I have such anger toward the President.

He needs to surrender on the TPP.

Give up, Mr. Obama.

Pretend this is the Public Option.

[TexasTowelie]

23. Locking thread.

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Article was published on June 5 so it is not LBN.