WIPO IP meeting ban
p2pnet.net News:- The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) will bar most public interest organizations from two important meetings on intellectual property and development, says EFF European affairs coordinator Cory Doctorow.
“As a result, WIPO delegates from 182 nations will discuss these issues without hearing from many of the world’s best-qualified experts,” he says, going on:
“Scheduled for next month, two WIPO ‘Development Agenda’ meetings will focus on the impact of copyright, patent, and other intellectual property rights regimes on the developing world.
“Without the public interest organizations, the discussions will be heavily weighted toward major motion picture studios, broadcasters, pharmaceutical giants, and other powerful interests that want to expand copyright and patent law.”
The meetings follow a proposal by Brazil and Argentina in the wake of the Geneva Declaration on the future of WIPO, which was signed by hundreds of individuals and public interest non-governmental organizations (NGOs), including the EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation), it says.
It also points out that most public interest groups have only recently started taking part in WIPO and aren’t yet permanently accredited by the organization, a process which takes a year.
They’ve nonetheless always been able to participate as ad hoc observers in the past but on March 2, the International Bureau Secretariat told the EFF only those NGOs currently accredited as “permanent” observers at WIPO will be allowed to attend the meetings.
“As a result, the bulk of civil society will be barred from attending,” says Doctorow.
The EFF is, however, an accredited WIPO permanent observer and will report on the proceedings in an attempt to represent the viewpoints of some of the other public interest groups that are being excluded from the process, it states.
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See:-
Electronic Frontier Foundation - WIPO Shutting Out Public Interest Organizations, March 7, 2005
March 7th, 2005 at 8:43 pm
this UN organization is reminding me more of “revenge of the nerds” than a real institution.
First they pick on these public advocates.. steal and trash their papwerwork.. deny them basic office facilities.. and now theyre “trashing their house” by tossing them out of the debate.
How about a fair fight.. oh wait they don’t have a fair point.
And i thought tammany hall was bad.. but that was only money.. this is liberty and the economic fate of developing nations…
I have one question to ask G-d if he’s up there.. what happened to those plagues?.. or the vengeful angels which took the first born of oppressors of man? we’d love to see you dust them off about now.
March 8th, 2005 at 3:49 pm
According to Netcraft ( http://www.netcraft.co.uk ), WIPO uses Apache server on Linux. I don’t know who supplies their IT - it could be IBM as previously WIPO used AIX. If it is, then perhaps IBM could tell WIPO that it’s in WIPO’s interest to take down the barriers. But I wouldn’t hold my breath that IBM would.
-Tony
Perth Australia