The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is a trade agreement between the U.S. and 11 other Pacific Rim countries. Its 30 chapters include commitments that touch on various aspects of Internet governance, such as Electronic Commerce, Telecommunications, Cross-border Trade in Services, Copyright and Trademark protection. EFF and other civil society organizations have sharply criticized TPP because of some of its intellectual property protection aspects. Others have claimed that TPP would ban data localization, free up trade in information services, and have a number of other beneficial effects. This panel will feature a discussion among advocates and opponents of TPP ratification, including stakeholders from civil society, business and government. The group will discuss what kinds of things should be in a trade agreement, and what kinds of issues should not be. In an attempt to move beyond polarization, the results of the workshop will contribute to new model text for future Internet-related trade processes, such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) or the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). This session will not deal with the transparency of trade agreements, but focus on the substance of the agreements and how they would affect trade or Internet governance. Another session will focus on process and transparency of negotiating trade agreements.
Agenda0-5 minutes: Chinmayi Arun: Introduction to the topic and roundtable participants
5 - 25 minutes: The copyright and trademark aspects of the TPP
In this section the moderator will elicit opening statements from three sides of the issue: 1) Malcolm, who thinks the intellectual property aspects of the TPP are detrimental to Internet freedom; 2) Mueller, who doesn't like the IP provisions but doesn't think they change much and aren't sufficiently bad to make the parties better off without the deal; and 3) Dorantes, who favors the IP provisions. The other roundtable participants and the attendees will discuss and debate these positions.
25 - 45 minutes: The e-commerce and trade in services aspects of TPP
In this section the moderator will elicit opening statements from 1) Burcu, who opposes the agreement, 2) Barayre-El Shami, who will discuss the pros and cons for developing countries, and 3) Aaronson, who favors the agreement. Both will describe the e-commerce and trade in services provisions of the TPP and explain why they favor or oppose them. The other roundtable participants and the attendees will discuss and debate these positions.
45 - 65 minutes: 3) What should be included and not included in trade agreements?
The moderator will call the group's attention to the fact that the subject matter of trade agreements keeps expanding beyond tariffs and nondiscriminatory treatment of foreign products and services to include broader concerns. This part will feature 1) Bramble, 2) Malcolm and 3) Aaronson and discuss the appropriateness of including things like IPR protection and other non-tariff trade concerns in trade agreements. Time permitting, the other roundtable participants and the attendees will discuss and debate these positions.
65 - 90 minutes:
In this part of the roundtable it will open up to comments and questions from the audience and the discussion will be focused on the future of trade agreements in information and communication services generally.
Speakers:
Arun, Chinmayi
Barayrer-El Shami, Cecile
Kilic, Burcu
Malcolm, Jeremy
Mueller, Milton
Aaronson, Susan
Juan Antonio Dorantes
Bamble, Nick
