This looks very bad.

Sun, 27 May 2007 19:46:17 +0900 PatchA

Dear all,

Finally, the full text of Korea US FTA was released last Friday. (http://www.mofat.go.kr/mofat/fta/eng/eng_list.htm)

It has many poisonous articles. We are very worried about the IPR chapter and the confirmation letters of IPR have very dangerous things which the former US FTA didn't have.

For examples, both governments agree on the objective of shutting down the internet sites that permit unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or transmission of copyright works. Korean government are shutting down even P2P service and webhard service. I think most of the internet sites including portal, UCC/UGC, blog sites etc.can be shut down by the government.

And it also includes strong enforcement activities on book printing on university campuses.

If this Korea US FTA is passed, then the US will request other countries to include these things in the following FTA. So it needs to have international solidarity activities to stop this kind of US FTA.

Please check below and we welcome of your criticizing opinions or statement to this IP chapter of Korea US FTA. We will post it to our struggle website (http://nofta-ip.jinbo.net) And please forward it to other people world-wide.

Korean Alliance Against the Korea-U.S. FTA and social organizations will have a press conference about the problem of IPR chapter of Korea US FTA on Monday(May 28th).

In soldarity, patcha

============================ Kim Jeong Woo (PatchA) Korean Progressive Network 'Jinbonet' Tel) +82-2-701-7687 Fax) +82-2-701-7112 Web) http://www.jinbo.net Email) i@patcha.jinbo.net / patcha@patcha.jinbo.net ============================

? Confirmation letter (Online Piracy Prevention) - Full text - http://www.mofat.go.kr/mofat/fta/eng/e45.pdf The Parties agree on the objective of shutting down Internet sites that permit the unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or transmission of copyright works, of regularly assessing and actively seeking to reduce the impact of new technological means for committing online copyright piracy, and of providing generally for more effective enforcement of intellectual property rights on the Internet.

Korea also agrees on the objective of shutting down Internet sites that permit the unauthorized downloading (and other forms of piracy) of copyright works, including so-called webhard services, and providing for more effective enforcement of intellectual property rights on the Internet, including in particular with regard to peer-to-peer (p2p) services.

Korea will work to prevent, investigate, and prosecute internet piracy. In doing so, Korea will work with the private sector, the other Party, and other foreign authorities. ? Confirmation letter (Promoting Protection and Effective Enforcement of Copyrighted works on University Campuses) - Full text - http://www.mofat.go.kr/mofat/fta/eng/e46.pdf The Parties recognize the importance of preventing illegal copying and distribution of copyrighted works on university campuses and providing effective enforcement against book piracy. Therefore, consistent with Korea's May 2004 Master Plan for IPR, Korea agrees to continue to increase its efforts to improve awareness of copyright infringement activities and book piracy on university campuses and reduce illegal reproduction and distribution of copyrighted works.

The Full text of IP Chapter is below Intellectual Property Rights - http://www.mofat.go.kr/mofat/fta/eng/e43.pdf Confirmation letter (Internet Service Provider) http://www.mofat.go.kr/mofat/fta/eng/e44.pdf

Confirmation letter (Promoting Protection and Effective Enforcement of Copyrighted works on University Campuses) http://www.mofat.go.kr/mofat/fta/eng/e46.pdf

Confirmation letter (Online Piracy Prevention) - http://www.mofat.go.kr/mofat/fta/eng/e45.pdf

So much for South Korea's being one of the world's top countries as regards education, then. Especially as they're very specifically pushing intellectual monopoly on the schools themselves. That will raise the price of their former standard of education out of reach of much of the population. I wonder if this is deliberate, to keep the country in an economically subservient state, where otherwise it might have actually surpassed the US in short order?