Exporting Balanced Copyright In A Renegotiated NAFTA

As representatives from the United States, Canada and Mexico continue to renegotiate NAFTA, host Kirby Ferguson sits down with University of Ottawa Law Professor Michael Geist in the tenth installment of Copy This to discuss how intellectual property and copyright fits into the trade agreement. While trade agreements were once designed to remove barriers to trade and eliminate tariffs on traditional goods and services, the debate has evolved to include digital trade and intellectual property. Geist explains why copyright limitations and exceptions -- such as fair use and safe harbors -- are just as important for inclusion as copyright enforcement. With fair use industries adding $2.8 trillion to the U.S. economy and benefitting 18 million American workers, NAFTA must include balanced copyright provisions that reflect the realities of today’s digital age.