New EDRI-gram: WIPO official redefines “monopoly”
The new EDRI-gram is out. Unsurprisingly, it’s a WSIS special edition. Looks like a good way to catch up with the oodles of things that happened there. Contents are:
Urgent call for support for EDRI-gram 1. General disappointment in WSIS-host Tunisia 2. Tunisian government blocks citizens counter summit 3. Agreement on internet governance issue 4. Civil Society Tunis declaration 5. Panel meeting with EU delegation 6. RSF report: 15 enemies of the internet 7. Panel on freedom of expression 8. Panel on privacy and security 9. Panel on WIPO and intellectual property 10. P2P, filesharing and digital rights 11. Forum on ubiquitous computing 12. Unesco round table 13. Recommended reading 14. Petition closed: 58.000 signatures
Reporting from a panel on WIPO and “intellectual property”, WIPO’s Philip Petit has an interesting view on economic facts:
He also said copyright is no monopoly because copyright owners are free to donate their rights if they want to.
Following this, for example, Microsoft has no monopoly because they are free to give their software away gratis if they choose to. I had not expected so much intellectual prowess among copyright’s own high priests.