This is another call for support from our friends in Korea, as a result of trade negotiations
with the US.
Please forward as widely as possible,
>Dear all,
>
>This is another comment on the copyright issues in the Korea-US FTA.
>
>Best,
>PatchA
>
>---------- Forwarded message ----------
>From: IPLeft <[log in to unmask]>
>Date: Tue, 21, Mar 2006 18:34:02 +0900
>Subject: [A2k] (Korea-US FTA) Seeking signatures on COPYRIGHT comment
>To: [log in to unmask]
>
>
>
>South Korea and United States are preparing for the FTA negotiation.
>On the negotiation agenda, intellectual property issues are given a
>top priority. IPLeft and other NGOs prepared a written comment
>(download at http://www.ipleft.or.kr/fta/20060324-CoalitionLetterofNGOs-copyright.pdf)
>on copyright issues that will be submitted to the USTR. Written
>comments are due by noon, March 24, 2006 via e-mail. IPLeft is seeking
>signature from many individuals and organizations in U.S on this
>comment. People and organizations that want to join this effort and
>put their names on the written comment, please reply to
>[log in to unmask] with their names and addresses (post address, Web
>site address or/and e-mail address) BY MIDNIGHT, MARCH 23, 2006. If
>you know people or organizations that might want to join as a
>signatory, please forward this e-mail message to them.
>
>I ask you to keep up on with the future development of the South
>Korea-U.S. FTA negotiation and to be a part of this fight against it.
>
>The following paragraphs are excerpted from the written comment:
>
>We strongly oppose the inclusion of the copyright clause in the
>current FTA negotiation between Korea and the United States.
>
>Considering the FTA that the United States negotiated with Singapore,
>Australia, and Chile, and what the United States has been demanding
>from the Korean government thus far, we assume that the United States
>will request copyright protection similar to or stronger than the
>United States copyright laws such as the 1998 DMCA(Digital Millennium
>Copyright Act).
>
>However, the DMCA and extending the copyright protection period in the
>Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act (CTEA) have been under much
>criticism because it obstructs fair use, science research, technology
>advancement, and publishing. Furthermore, there are strong concerns
>about how it impedes computer security research. Nonetheless, United
>States has been imposing their own copyright laws on other countries
>by adopting laws similar to the DMCA in the FTA. Among them, we cannot
>allow the extension of the copyright protection period to 70 years or
>setting the penalty for circumventing the technical measures for
>protection at the broad level of the laws in the United States because
>these clauses violate the fundamental principles of the copyright
>laws. The United States must stop such demands on the Korean
>government immediately.
>
>Nam Hee-seob, Chairperson of Intellectual Property Left
>Jungbongwon Bd. 5F, 502, 1-13,
>Chungpa-dong 1ga,Yongsan-gu,
>Seoul, Korea (140-868)
>Website) http://www.ipleft.or.kr
Dept. of Media Studies,
University of San Francisco.
2130 Fulton St.
San Francisco, California 94117-1080.
415-422-5061
[log in to unmask]
----- Original Message -----
From: Aliza Dichter <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Wednesday, March 22, 2006 10:03 am
Subject: Fwd: letter on korean screen quota - sign on by March 23!
> ( una carta en la ayuda del cuota de la película Koreano)
>
> Begin forwarded message:
>
> > From: Frannie Wellings <[log in to unmask]>
> > Date: March 22, 2006 11:22:23 AM EST
> > To: [log in to unmask]
> > Subject: [cc-mediareform] letter on korean screen quota - sign on
> by
> > March 23!
> >
> > Hi everyone,
> >
> > I'm hoping organizations on this list can sign on in support of
> the
> > attached letter prepared by the International Network for
> Cultural
> > Diversity. The letter concerns the Korean Screen Quota which
> protects
> > the Korean film industry and Korean culture and is currently
> > threatened by free trade negotiations between the United States
> of
> > America and the Republic of Korea.
> >
> > In January 2006, Korea announced it is reducing its movie
> theater
> > screen quota system by 50 percent, effective July 2006. As the
> letter
> > states, the INCD believes the US negotiation "interferes with the
> > democratic will of the Korean people to have their political
> > representatives protect and promote Korean culture." For more
> > information, read the letter below from Garry Neil and James Early.
> >
> > To sign on or if you have any questions, contact Garry Neil at
> > [log in to unmask] or 416.268.5665. Deadline for signatures is
> > tomorrow, March 23rd!
> >
> > Thank you,
> >
> > Frannie
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
> 19 March 2005
>
> URGENT APPEAL FOR LETTERS OF SUPPORT
> FROM U.S. ORGANIZATIONS
>
> The United States is about to launch negotiations for a free trade
> agreement with the Republic of Korea. The Office of the U.S. Trade
> Representative has called for public comments on the proposed talks,
> which must be received by noon on March 24th.
>
>
> The INCD is inviting you to sign on to an important submission it will
> file on the deadline. We urge you to read this material and indicate
> your support no later than the end of the day March 23rd, by replying
> to this email. Include a brief description of your organization, or
> indicate if you are signing as an individual.
>
> What are the issues?
> The price for opening negotiations for a free trade agreement was
> Korea’s agreement to accede to U.S. pressure to reduce its successful
> cinema screen quota. The 50 percent reduction will take effect in
> July 2006. Since it was implemented in 1993, this quota has fuelled a
> rapid growth of the Korean film industry which increased its share of
> the domestic market from 16 percent to more than 47 percent in 12
> years. Korean films have achieved international acclaim and their
> availability has increased choices for movie goers everywhere. The
> reduction in the screen quota will threaten this remarkable record and
> the Korean film industry believes U.S. pressure will continue in the
> upcoming talks in an attempt to completely eliminate the quota.
>
> U.S. movies continue to have strong access to Korean cinemas: foreign
> movies can be shown 60 percent of the time on each screen. Further,
> the quota has driven a tremendous growth in overall attendance, from
> 58 million in 1999 to more than 130 million in 2004, which has
> benefited U.S. movies.
>
> This issue highlights the huge gulf between the United States and the
> rest of the world on cultural diversity. The U.S. was one of only two
> countries which opposed the adoption in October 2005 of the new UNESCO
> convention on cultural diversity. INCD and its U.S. members believe
> that there is need for civil society and governments in the United
> States to be leaders in promoting diversity and cultural equality,
> both within the U.S. and globally. The U.S. needs to confirm its
> sovereign right to implement policies on the arts, culture and the
> media, including the promotion of diversity in the media.
>
> What is the submission calling for?
> The submission urges the United States government:
> • To propose an unrestricted and unlimited exemption for cultural
> goods and services from the terms of the free trade agreement with the
> Republic of Korea.
> • To exercise leadership to promote cultural diversity
> internationally, and within the United States itself, by ratifying the
> UNESCO Convention on the protection and promotion of the diversity of
> cultural expressions.
>
> We know this is a late request, but we only just received the
> information. We hope you will send your letter of support to us
> quickly.
>
> In solidarity,
> James Early, Smithsonian Institution and INCD Steering Committee
> Garry Neil, INCD Executive Director
>
> For more information:
> Garry Neil 416.268.5665
>
> * * * *
> Frannie Wellings
> Free Press
> (202) 265-1490 x 21
> http://www.freepress.net
>
> Media is the issue.
>
> To unsubscribe, change your address, or temporarily deactivate your
> subscription, please go to
> http://v2.listbox.com/member/?member_id=1793730&user_secret=387be0d0
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