EU's IP Negotiating Strategy With Canada Leaks

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Canada and the European Union resume negotiations on a Canada-EU Trade Agreement (CETA) this week.  The second round of talks comes as the EU's proposed chapter for the intellectual property provisions leaked last month, revealing demands for dramatic changes to Canadian intellectual property law.  This would include copyright term extension (to life of the author plus 70 years), anti-circumvention rules, resale rights, and ISP liability provisions.

Now a second document has leaked, though it is not currently available online.  The Wire Report reports that an EU document dated November 16, 2009, features candid comments about Canada and the EU strategy.  The document, called a "Barrier Hymn Sheet" leaves little doubt about the EU's objective:

Put pressure on Canada so that they take IPR issues seriously and remedy the many shortcomings of their IPR protection and enforcement regime.

michaelgeist.ca