MPAA Praises Obama’s Move to Advance Trans-Pacific Partnership

MPAA chairman Chris Dodd praised the latest move by the White House to advance the Trans-Pacific Partnership, even as the future of the massive trade pact is clouded by opposition in the presidential race.

Both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump oppose the TPP, an agreement between 11 countries and the United States that essentially creates a trading bloc on the Pacific Rim. But President Obama’s administration notice to Congress on Friday said that he would be sending TPP legislation to Capitol Hill. Obama’s notice establishes a 30-day minimum period before the White House would send the legislation. Obama has indicated that he would like to see passage of the legislation during the lame-duck session after the election.

Hollywood studios favor the pact, which would standardize copyright terms and open markets, among other things.

“The TPP has the potential to further open markets in the Asia Pacific region to U.S. film and television exports and harmonize intellectual property rights to promote economic growth at home and abroad,” Dodd said in a statement on Friday.

In an interview last month during the Democratic National Convention, Dodd acknowledged that the legislation faces an uphill climb, given that it has become a central election year issue. Trump has attacked the pact as poorly negotiated, while Clinton has said that even though much of the negotiation for the agreement took place while she was secretary of state, she opposes its final form.

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