Cheers!

http://www.cptech.org/ip/wipo/genevadeclaration.html

this section stood out for me:

“A 1967 Convention sought to encourage creative activity by establishing WIPO to promote the protection of intellectual property. The mission was expanded in 1974, when WIPO became part of the United Nations, under an agreement that asked WIPO to take “appropriate action to promote creative intellectual activity,” and facilitate the transfer of technology to developing countries, “in order to accelerate economic, social and cultural development.”

“As an intergovernmental organization, however, WIPO embraced a culture of creating and expanding monopoly privileges, often without regard to consequences. The continuous expansion of these privileges and their enforcement mechanisms has led to grave social and economic costs, and has hampered and threatened other important systems of creativity and innovation. WIPO needs to enable its members to understand the real economic and social consequences of excessive intellectual property protections, and the importance of striking a balance between the public domain and competition on the one hand, and the realm of property rights on the other. The mantras that “more is better” or “that less is never good” are disingenuous and dangerous — and have greatly compromised the standing of WIPO, especially among experts in intellectual property policy. WIPO must change.”

I’m in complete agreement with the Declaration.

Thiru Balasubramaniam has it right, the rest of the world is getting a US version ram-jammed down its collective throat.