O’Malley TPP Letter

Colorado Connecticut May 27, 2011 The Honorable Barack Obama President of the United States The White House 1600 Avenue, NW. Washington, DC 20500 Dear Mr. President: Thank you for your commitment to keeping America competitive and focused on creating jobs and opportunity for growth. This letter relates to your ongoing negotiations for a Trans-Paci?c Partnership trade agreement with our commercial partners in Asia and the Americas. Among your priorities for these negotiations, we ask that you include very strong intellectual property rights provisions, consistent with US. law, for protecting the investments of our innovative, intellectual property-intensive sectors, such as biopharmaceuticals. The biophannaceutical sector and other IP-intensive sectors depend heavily on their ability to secure and enforce intellectual property rights for a fair playing ?eld with competitors. This requires that other governments implement systems, as the United States has done for all persons regardless of their citizenship, which protect their innovation rights. As you know, the biopharmaceutical sector supports million jobs in America. A commitment to these standards will preempt non-tariff trade barriers that effectively delay or deny patients? access to life-saving medicines. We appreciate your support and shared goal of strengthening our nation?s innovation economy. Sincerely, . a 22 may Governo "John HickenlooPe Maryland Colora 0 Governor Dan Malloy Governor Jack Markel] Connecticut Delaware

Governor Deva] Patrick Massachusetts CW . . Governor stme . rogou'e Washington cc: Ambassador Ron Kirk, USTR Governor Bov Porduo North Carolina