Enemies of Development force IIM deadlock
Those delegations exclusively dedicated to the well-being of their country’s rightsholder industries have made this IIM meeting end in extreme deadlock: The only report there will be is to be the delegation statements of the past three IIM meetings.
The US delegation is hell-bent on destroying the Development Agenda before it is even conceived. Japan is helping them (I should have asked the Japanese delegations if all or only a part of their salary is paid by Sony). The EU and Canada are usually aligning themselves with these Enemies of Development (well, what else is one to call this unholy alliance?). Though sometimes putting on a compromising face, they falter at the slightest grumble from the US.
Together with some of the comments ascribed to one of the German delegates, which referred to development being “a disease that is spreading all over Europe”, this gives a rather clear picture. Industrialised countries, with the US leading the way, Japan restating US positions and the EU whimpering behind, will never voluntarily give a single sliver of their countries’ industries’ entrenched superior position in intellectual exclusion rights.
If you live in one of the G8 countries, which only weeks ago in Gleneagles made high-flying statements about their commmitment to development: Don’t believe a word they tell you. If there is to be a more just order concerning copyrights and patents, it is not going to come from these countries.
The deadlock was so complete that the meeting had to be adjourned. A draft report will be available electronically on 15 August. Then comments can be made until 31 August. The meeting will then be resumed to adopt the report some time first week of September. This is going to be tough.