Karsten on Free Software

Today, the more conflictive issues might get to be discussed. A list of all items has unofficially become available (pages 1 and 2). (I’ve had a few qualms about posting these – so much for the spirit of transparency at WIPO.) Before the start of the regular session at 10 am, there are closed group meetings by the EU, Group B (industrialised countries) and the African Group.

The EU, unsurprisingly enough, still has troubles arriving at a common position that is in any way substantial. As for likely outcomes of this meeting, it appears that the recommendation to the General Assembly in late September will be either to totally remodel the PCIPD (the solution favoured by rich countries) or a continuation of the IIM process, meaning three of four meetings like this one in 2006. The latter seems much more likely, as the only ones seriously opposed are the United States. (Yes, I know, this is not a dramatic turn.)

Just as I’m writing this, I’m handed the latest proposal by the United States. It must have taken them a full five minutes to write it up. It has all the air of a defiant child about it, as it is a reaction to the rather bold paper handed in by Brasil yesterday, where they basically suggest that the adoption of the Development Agenda should be recommended to the General Assembly.

The US paper is blatantly unimaginative: Hand to the General Assembly the reports of the three past IIMs (including this one), and the push the Development Agenda issue off into the PCIPD. Falling about three months behind the current state of the discussion, the core sentence is:

“The General Assembly reaffirms that the mandate of the PCIPD is sufficiently broad to consider fully the proposals made.” The US paper also suggests that the frequency of PCIPD meetings should be raised from once every two years or so to two times a year.

If this dim-witted impertinence is to go anywhere other than the dustbin, it would surprise me.

Today at lunchtime – and instead of lunch for those participating – there will be a briefing by Public Interest Public Interest NGOs on the WIPO Development Agenda. Sponsored by the Civil Society Coalition, IP Justice and the Third World Network, the speakers will include Georg Greve of FSF Europe, Thiru Balasubramaniam of the CSC and the Consumer Project on Technology (cptech), Pedro M. Simonetti of Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility – Peru, Ellen ‘t Hoen of Medicins sans Frontiers and Pedro Roffe of ICTSD. It’ll be moderated by Robin Gross of IP Justice.

This should be fun: The most provocative of the hardcore industry sector NGOs are sure to come and ask pointed questions – which with these speakers, I am sure, will find pointed answers.