General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: President Obama Weekly Address: Fighting for Trade Deals that Put American Workers First [View all]joshcryer
(62,269 posts)We already have DMCA for copyright and such. But what it will do is lock in countries with regards to renewable energy technology. They will be bound by the US patent system. So if some guy there has already invented some new renewable energy technology, but it was after it was patented in the US, then the country that signs on differs to the US and the guy who invented something there gets the shaft. It changes nothing with regards to US IP.
So what will ultimately happen with regards to renewable technology is that if those countries want to meet emissions requirements they will be forced to pay into the US patent system. There's no trigger for GDP or cost or anything like that. So they'll be paying the "full rate." So any country that signs on will be set back by the intellectual property provisions.
This is, unlike what many are arguing, the US expanding its laws on other countries that don't have such a robust legal and judicial system.
In the end what I foresee is that companies will sell their patents to these countries to make these countries build the technology out while they hire their own workers. The idea behind it is that our workers will build the technology out, but it's not going to work out that way. And people making wind power generators in the US will be put out of a job.