What you ought to know about the Trans Pacific Partnership

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greg
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What you ought to know about the Trans Pacific Partnership

Post by greg »

I'm not a fan of political bantering on forums, however this directly relates to the anime and manga industry. The Trans Pacific Partnership (or TPP for short) is basically NAFTA and the Monsanto Protection Act on steroids. I was glad to move to Japan, where there are laws that stipulate that any GMO products be declared as such on the packages. For instance, any corn or potato chips in Japan will have a disclaimer saying whether or not the ingredients are from genetically modified crops. Not only can such an evil corporation such as Monsanto bully American farmers, citizens, and local governments alike with their lawyers, but TPP will open the floodgates to allow them to sue companies like Japan, its farmers, and its citizens for opposing their madness. Especially in the mountains of Nagano-ken where my in-laws live, there are plenty of "STOP TPP" signs to be found. However, this isn't up to the citizens of the affected countries to decide. This is happening behind closed doors with the leaders of the involved countries with only leaked information coming out. For us Americans, it doesn't matter what side of the political spectrum you are on. It is abundantly clear that our politicians give their ears to lobbyists. Obama proved popular for being vocally against lobbyists, but after appointing nothing but lobbyists to his cabinet, he has proved to be just as big of a hypocrite as anyone else.

Where this pertains to this forum is that TPP will also spell disaster to the anime and manga industry. Quoting from Wikipedia:
Ken Akamatsu, creator of Love Hina and Mahou Sensei Negima!, expressed concern the agreement could decimate the derivative dōjinshi (self-published) works prevalent in Japan. Akamatsu argues that the TPP "would destroy derivative dōjinshi. And as a result, the power of the entire manga industry would also diminish." Kensaku Fukui, a lawyer and a Nihon University professor, expressed concerns that the TPP could allow companies to restrict or stop imports and exports of intellectual property, such as licensed merchandise. For example, IP holders could restrict or stop importers from shipping merchandise such as DVDs and other related goods related to an anime or manga property into one country to protect local distribution of licensed merchandise already in the country via local licensors.

At a NicoNico live seminar called How Would TPP Change the Net and Copyrights? An In-Depth Examination: From Extending Copyright Terms to Changing the Law to Allow Unilateral Enforcement and Statutory Damages, artist Kazuhiko Hachiya warned that cosplay could also fall under the TPP, and such an agreement could give law enforcement officials broad interpretive authority in dictating how people could dress up. Critics also have derided the agreement could also harm Japanese culture, where some segments have developed through parody works.
This is pretty freaking evil. The scary part is that our world leaders are deciding all of this without the consent of of their citizens. Maybe people elsewhere have elected representatives who represent their constituents instead of lobbyists, but United State citizens have much to fear. I am rather worried sick that Prime Minister Abe will consent to TPP and sign on. It will doom Japan in countless ways.
Last edited by greg on Sun Oct 13, 2013 2:55 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: What you ought to know about the Trans Pacific Partnersh

Post by Heero »

I hadn't heard about TPP efforts recently I admit, and I am not saying I'm informed or qualified enough to speak about it. But the quoted material seems overly paranoid IMO. Considering that anime/manga originates in Japan and the IP holders over there ALREADY have avenues to shut down doujinshi if they had any realistic intentions of doing so, I just don't think that will happen. As far as cosplay, I also think the comments are being very "Chicken Little", but I also have very little outrage if costumes are largely going to fall into the "licensed production only" category. (altho, considering that even Disney currently has to live with "knock off" patterns at fabric stores all across America, I think it's laughable that Japanese IP owners are going to shut down cosplayers)

End point being, while I have no doubt this can have significant and important impacts on many industries (especially Japanese farmers) I find it highly unlikely that it will have dire (or even "any") impacts on the anime/manga industry in Japan. Now it is POSSIBLE that it could change the way anime/manga is licensed and distributed in AMERICA, but I have my issues with the way that is currently being done right now anyway.
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Re: What you ought to know about the Trans Pacific Partnersh

Post by greg »

At least the cosplay part is reaching for it, I think. I wouldn't be too concerned about the doujinshi part, either. However, this could impact the importation of anime and manga that may be considered as interfering with local licensing. Like, for example, if you want Macross F on DVD and want to import it, Harmony Gold's license may put a stop to it. Suddenly the stuff you like is now going to be stopped by customs and such.

The part I am scared about is how much more unstoppable Monsanto will become globally. Japan has been very resistant to GMO crops, and this TPP will put an end to that, as well as make everyone unaware of what they are eating. Essentially, TPP is designed to allow United States lawyers to sue everyone internationally. Monsanto will be allowed to sue foreign entities: governments, citizens, and of course their favorite target, farmers. Monsanto is responsible for a wide range of problems, from lactose intolerance to food allergies to spina biffida to mutant super-viruses to ecological catastrophe, and they obviously will not stop until everyone is eating their Frankenstein foods.
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Re: What you ought to know about the Trans Pacific Partnersh

Post by davemerrill »

From my experience, I've seen plenty of DVDs that state up front they are only for sale in certain nations. Japan's particularly concerned with reverse-importation of anime DVDs because American prices are way below Japanese prices. Plenty of Japanese on-line businesses won't sell outside Japan, regardless of what the item is. In other words, it seems like these complaints about TPP are a description of a de facto condition, rather than something that may happen in the future.

I have no idea what Kazuhiko Hachiya is talking about when he says that TPP could dictate how people costume. I can see a stricter enforcement of IP leading to licensing issues with some of the businesses that make and sell cosplay outfits, sure, and that's something that should probably happen anyway. But trying to take legal action against somebody who makes their own anime-character costume, that's a non-starter.

Certainly if the doujinshi culture was held to American standards of copyright, it would be sued out of existence.

I don't believe the TPP is a threat to anime or manga culture, but I do think the TPP is aimed at benefitting giant multinational corporations at the expense of individuals and cultures, and thanks for the information on this. It's the first I've heard of it.
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Re: What you ought to know about the Trans Pacific Partnersh

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Re: What you ought to know about the Trans Pacific Partnersh

Post by greg »

This video explains very well on the dangerous implications of TPP for both Japan and the USA:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anhP_NzX5DY
The ramifications of intellectual property rights are far-reaching and impossible to predict. TPP will open the floodgates for American lawyers to push Japanese governments, businesses, farmers, and general populace around at their whim.

I've been seeing a lot of news coverage of TPP on TV here, but I can't understand much of it at all due to the language involved. English news coverage is slow to trickle in, as much news coverage seems to be eating up coverage of the Olympics and such. It looks like TPP has not yet been agreed upon here. Anyone I've talked with about TPP here has been against it, and they are glad to see an American against his own homeland government on this issue. Nobody here wants TPP.

Although I've never pursued a career in my college major, I do have a degree in international business management and I've studied quite a lot of marketing of US products in Japan. America has so often failed to grasp Japanese consumerism. Japan doesn't want US-made refrigerators because they are too big and don't fit well inside typical Japanese kitchens. There are so many case studies to name. One of America's objectives in TPP is to force American cars down Japanese throats. Japan doesn't want American cars. You see a lot of German cars (and France's Peugeot and Citroen), but I rarely see American cars. I see some Chrystler PT Cruisers occasionally because, I admit since I rented one once, they are cute and fun. Lousy gas mileage for an engine its size, but they're neat. I occasionally see Ford and Chevy cars too, but not often. Even with TPP forcing Japan's markets to accept American cars, they still wouldn't sell many.

I am most fearful of TPP forcing GMO foods onto Japan, and opening this country to the attack of bully corporations like Monsanto to sue the crap out of everybody to make their Frankenstein veggies integrated with everything else and eliminating consumers' decision-making capabilities. States like California have fought hard to put GMO labelling on their foods, and they are being pummeled by Monsanto's lawyers. I do not want any of that crap here.
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Re: What you ought to know about the Trans Pacific Partnersh

Post by _D_ »

This reminds me of the Air Pirates case of so long ago...where does copyright infringement start and what is parody? It seems that you can parody just about anything, but Mickey Mouse is off limits. I fail to see the logic in this but maybe some copyright lawyer can explain it to me. I followed the case for years but I still don't get it. Seems like Parody but National Lampoon also got sued over the Minnie Mouse cover. Hmmm...

I see Dan Kanemitsu is also aware of what is going on:

http://dankanemitsu.wordpress.com/2013/ ... o-a-close/

In Canada, it appears to be an attempt by the PM's Office to circumvent parliament so a straw vote doesn't need to be taken in which he would lose as even his own caucus would vote against him. An upcoming election is looming and they don't want any more enemies than they already have. But I'm not buying into such shady dealings from this gov't on a personal level anyway...
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Re: What you ought to know about the Trans Pacific Partnersh

Post by greg »

Copyright infringement litigation is maddening. I see people who do piano or guitar covers of songs have their Youtube channels shut down as a result. Passing off someone else's stuff as your own is one thing, but doing a cover or a tribute is completely different. It's like they fail to grasp this concept. "Hey, here me playing xxx song by yyy singer." I am sure that yyy singer is flattered, but the greedy record company that own's yyy's music will file a claim of copyright violation and shut them down.

Whenever GMO seeds from a nearby corn crop contaminates another farmer's crop, Monsanto will swoop in with their lawyers once the corn is tested and sue the crap out of that farmer on basis of copyright violation because he did not purchase their Frankenstein seeds. All they do is bully the farmers until the only ones left are growing their genetic nightmare crops. If TPP is accepted in Japan, not only will local farmers here be pushed around by international competition, but it will open a window to allow Monsanto free reign to sue Japanese farmers too.

In other news, apparently one organic farmer is suing Monsanto for a change, because his organic crops were contaminated by cross-contamination of their GMO crap. His livelyhood is at stake, so he has leverage to actually hit them hard. I really hope that if he has a compelling case, he won't accept an out of court settlement and push the fight for farmers everywhere. I don't have the link with me at the moment.
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