“WIPO is not about creativity. It is about protection of intellectual property!” Thus spoke Mr Thomas Giovanetti, sent to the WIPO meeting by the Institute for Policy Innovation, a conservative think-tank in Texas, USA. It’s good to know that those opposed to reform at WIPO care so deeply about the thing they are claiming to Read more »
Just heard about another blog from the Civil Society side of the WIPO meeting: Brazilian activist Pablo Ortellando, writing for freepress.net, is keeping you informed at www.mediatrademonitor.org.
So far, not too much has been happening – at least in the visible part of the meeting. During lunch break, there was a panel discussion with several Civil Society experts: Jamie Love of CPTech, Martin Khor Kok Peng of the Third World Network and Ellen Thoen of Medicines Sans Frontieres. All three of them Read more »
This Tuesday morning, the situation is rather tense. The extreme positions are held by India on the side of the Friends of Development, and by the USA on the side of those who want to avoid reform. Each side has its helpers. While India simply expresses most clearly the views of the Friends of Development Read more »
Just in case you want to read more than just my getting all worked up about the workings of international politics, there are (at least) two more blogs about this meeting. Both are more news-style and have better background than mine. That of IPWatch seems to be more comprehensive, while the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s blog Read more »
In the statements of regional groups (eg. Africa, EU…) and individual states, there is a tendency to follow the USA on the argument that incorporating a development agenda into WIPO’s work is fundamentally a technical question; or rather, a question of technical assistance. This would essentially mean: reinforced efforts by rich countries to push proprietary Read more »
Together with Georg, I’m at the WIPO meeting in Geneva. The delegates have gotten together to discuss if the needs of developing countries should be better integrated into WIPO’s work. The climate, to me as a naive observer, seems as if the delegates are somewhat confused. Development normally is not an issue in their work; Read more »
A nightmare has been lifted off my shoulders. Finally, I have understood how to format blog entries. Georg had told me that it was something like structured text, and I, as a poor layman with him being my resident tech god, simply believed it. No, children, don’t be fooled so easily. Don’t believe what they Read more »
Today is weird. When I got to the office this morning, I started up the computer, plugged in my laptop and waited for the usual 150 or so e-mails to come gushing over me. But instead, there was just a trickle. Since I’m normally busy answering the mail all morning, this left me stunned. Georg Read more »
Check out what Le Figaro did to an interview with Georg today: what a placement! Here‘s the article.