WikiLeaks released what it said was the previously...

Brunei, said WikiLeaks in a Wednesday news release (http://bit.ly/HRoF50). The leak comes as chief TPP negotiators prepare to meet in Salt Lake City Nov. 19-24. The office of the U.S. Trade Representative refused to comment on the authenticity of the material “purportedly leaked from a negotiation,” said a USTR spokeswoman. The IP negotiations remain underway and a final text has not been agreed upon, she said. The Obama administration has targeted year’s end to conclude negotiations (CD Oct 31 p13). The leaked text unveils significant disagreement among the 12 nations, said a number of advocacy groups in news releases, including WikiLeaks. “This leak is the first of a complete chapter revealing all countries’ positions. There are more than 100 unresolved issues in the TPP Intellectual Property chapter,” said Public Citizen (http://bit.ly/1a5bHuT). “Even the wording of many footnotes is in dispute; one footnote negotiators agree on suggests they keep working out their differences over the wording of the other footnotes. The other 28 draft TPP chapters remain shrouded in secrecy.” The IP chapter shows the U.S. administration is pushing stringent IP language that promotes big business over consumer access to products and information, said WikiLeaks, saying only primary negotiators and big business previously had viewing privileges for the document. “Members of the US Congress are only able to view selected portions of treaty-related documents in highly restrictive conditions and under strict supervision,” said WikiLeaks. “It has been previously revealed that only three individuals in each TPP nation have access to the full text of the agreement, while 600 ’trade advisers’ -- lobbyists guarding the interests of large US corporations such as Chevron, Halliburton, Monsanto and Walmart -- are granted privileged access to crucial sections of the treaty text.” The TPP IP chapter, which includes 296 footnotes and 941 brackets -- indicating provisions still under debate -- proposes patent and IP rights language that would enable participant governments and private entities to bring legal action that could award dispute winners “huge” sums, said Knowledge Ecology International (http://bit.ly/1aENN5i).