The Next Round of TPP in New Zealand

The 14th round of TPP will be taking place at Auckland, New Zealand on December 3-12.

Currently all negotiators have returned to their countries due to the 2012 Elections going on here in the US. It is unknown whether the Obama Administration will nominate a new trade representative since Obama will win.

As for the ACTA treaty, Canada and the EU have been trying to ratify ACTA through a backdoor treaty called CETA (Canada-EU Trade Agreement) as the EU parliament have rejected ACTA. CETA would be the only treaty to ratify and enforce ACTA. This will make 3 of the 6 ACTA signatories to ratify the treaty. But Canadian protesters are fighting against CETA because the agreement will ratify ACTA.

In order for a treaty to be ratified, a nation's parliament including the US Senate has to introduce a bill or an amendment to ratify a treaty. For the US Senate, 2/3 of the majority is required while depending on the other countries parliaments, it would have to be unanimous.

So all you New Zealanders, this maybe your last chance to fight because all the indigenous peoples will be forced out of their lands by foreign corporations.

TPP is a international Human Rights violation, and foreign national corporations could do away international human rights forcing the consumers against his/her own will to buy their unsafe products even if they don't have money.

Saban buys back Digimon

Saban confirmed it has acquired back Digimon (Adventure 01, 02, and Tamers) in addition of acquiring Xros Wars as Digimon Fusion.

Fusion will be broadcasting on Nicktoons while Digimon Adventure 01, 02 and Tamers will be airing on The CW's Vortexx saturday block. Frontier and Data Squad probably may not be included or whether they'll air.

Important information for AT&T Customers who live in rural areas

For those who have AT&T DSL in rural areas. The nationwide phone provider AT&T will decide November 7 to decide what to do with landlines in your area.

1. AT&T CEO said that the company may upgrade the landlines, thus expanding U-verse.

2. AT&T has sent to the FCC to repeal the rules, allowing the company to cut off your phone and internet service. The FCC rules is that a telecommunications provider must provide services in rural areas, including DSL Internet. Repealing the rules could also allow cable companies to discontinue internet services to their customers leaving satellite internet (HughesNet, Wildblue) the only providers.

The plan is to make wireless broadband available to all rural areas.

Conclusion of TPP talks delayed until next year, Japan will not join talks

The 9-member TPP nations announced they will suspend the conclusion of talks until next year. Japan announced they would not join TPP talks. Canada and Mexico announced they would join TPP talks, but the Congress has to approve their entry. Austrailia, Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, and Singapore all have approved for Canada and Mexico's entry into TPP talks.


I think the Japanese Prime Minister is going "Hey, forget about TPP, let's ratify ACTA." as the nation became the first to ratify the ACTA treaty. It was also the depository for signing the treaty.  Australia will ratify ACTA next year. The next US Senate will ratify ACTA unless we don't act fast and urge the Senate to reject ratification. Canada,  Morocco, Singapore, and South Korea are in the process to ratify ACTA. New Zealand may not ratify ACTA.

Japanese protestors marching in Akihabara on Sunday, September 9th, were mad about the ratification, and urged the Japanese government not to join the TPP talks. Protesters said the (Japanese) government will regret they had ratified the Agreement.

ACTA is still alive regardless of EU's rejection, 14th round of TPP begins

It appears that ACTA is still alive as Japan's House Committee of Foreign Affairs, and is now heading to the House of Representatives (Japan) floor for approval for ratification.  Japan will be the first nation to ratify ACTA. Five more ratifications to go, Austrailia and Mexico have rejected ACTA, but Canada, Morocco, Singapore, and South Korea will ratify the Agreement. So Canadians, you need to make your voice heard and tell your parliament representatives not to ratify this Agreement. However, there is another trade agreement that has ACTA's provisions in it, it's called the Canada-EU trade agreement or CETA.

The 14th round negotiations and it will likely be the final round of negotiations as US trade Representative Kirk has said he wants the deal done before the November Elections. However, Canada and Mexico has been blocked from this round of negotiations until Congress comes back and approve their entry into the negotiations which could be until the next round or the round in. For those in Leesburg, VA, make your voice heard right now. Because there could be expanding a copyright maximum like proposal that could for example expand "three strikes" beyond the internet, just as the old draft ACTA used to have before it was watered down, thus criminalizing private acts of anything, including the things you or a child could do that would put the entire family in prison.

Chile and New Zealand had an IP proposal which is less worse than the US proposal.

The New Zealand proposal would make easier for intellectual works (including medicine) to be accessed by the public.

Chile's proposal would counter the abuse of IP rights similar to the US DMCA counter-notice.

The US proposal calls all TPP members to apply the three step-test which is different to the Berne Convention, makes it impossible for consumers to access IP (including medicines) and implement three strikes.

New Zealand and Chile's proposal sounds fair but the US proposal is the worst.

I will present some updates during this round, so please make your voice heard.

UPDATE: Reported on Twitter. Japan has ratified ACTA.