In a dark corner of the Trans-Pacific Partnership lurks some pretty nasty copyright law
Found on The Washington Post on Saturday, 05 September 2015
Any provision of U.S. law that eliminated “pre-established damage” or “additional damages” for any class of works could be a violation of various TPP provisions requiring that such damages be made available, and it even appears that distribution of orphan works would have to subject the distributor to criminal copyright liability.
These (and other — poke around at the KEI site for more evidence) copyright provisions in the TPP are pretty dreadful and continue the disturbing trend of making copyright bigger, longer and stronger just when public policy demands the opposite.
The TPP itself is pretty nasty. Unless the full text is released to the public, you just have to assume that most of it will not make the average citizen happy. Otherwise there would be no reason whatsoever to hide it from the people. You don't sign a contract you have never read.