Canada Post Corp. has joined the U.S. Postal Service in its battle before the Postal Rate Commission to keep alleged commercially sensitive information about its Post Electronic Service (Post E.C.S.) secret.
At issue is information about the creation and operations of Post E.C.S., an Internet-based document delivery service for direct marketers. The USPS is in partnership with CPC, France’s La Poste, the International Post Corp. and Tumbleweed Communications Corp. to operate the service.
CPC said through its lawyer, Rodger Brennan, that it was joining the USPS in opposing disclosure of any commercially sensitive information about Post E.C.S. because it could be used by competitors to establish “similar services in and through Canada.” He also argued that any disclosure could hinder future joint ventures among the USPS, the CPC and other postal services.
Brennan asked that CPC and other foreign postal services “be given notice and some opportunity to respond before any potentially sensitive information is disclosed in any form” to participants in the proceedings or to the public.
The service, which the USPS has been offering since July 1998, is being challenged by United Parcel Service of America Inc. and the Coalition Against Unfair USPS Competition (CAUUC). They allege that the USPS began offering the service without first seeking the PRC’s endorsement and the approval of its Board of Governors.
The USPS claims that by law it has the authority to enter into various international agreements without PRC support or the approval of postal governors.
Neither La Poste, the International Post Corp. nor Tumbleweed Communications have participated in the PRC’s proceedings.
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