Any Renegotiation of NAFTA Must Respect and Strengthen Copyright Regulations

The North American Free Trade Agreement, known as NAFTA, is currently being negotiated between the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Copyright law, the single most important tool in protecting the rights and livelihoods of millions of creatives across the country, looks to be on the negotiating table.

The creative communities CANNOT afford to risk the jobs of millions of Americans by allowing weak provisions to enter a trade agreement that will define American exports for decades to come.

We MUST demand that strong intellectual property protections, consistent with previous trade agreements, remain in any renegotiation of NAFTA. Now that negotiations are here, our representatives in government MUST begin discussions with the strongest hand possible.

In last year’s Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), our country made many concessions to trade “partners” where copyright laws are virtually non-existent. The United States has now left the TPP and we must enter all current and future trade negotiations with the goal of protecting American jobs – of which 5.5 million depend on strong copyright protections.

Limiting the property rights of U.S. creatives under the guise of “balance” means foreign companies can use U.S. creative property without any payment to U.S. rights holders. This is no way to conduct a negotiation. Instead, it’s a great way to grow our trade deficit on the back of the creative communities!

SIGN OUR PETITION and let your voice be heard: we MUST protect the rights of the millions of Americans who work in the creative industries. Their livelihoods ARE NOT a bargaining chip!