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“An international treaty to give broadcasters the right to control who may record, transmit, or distribute their signals is reaching a crucial stage of negotiation by the World Intellectual Property Organization in Geneva. The current draft (PDF) incorporates many proposals, but the main ones most countries agree on give broadcasters 50 years’ worth of legal control over the recording, retransmission, and reproduction of their broadcast signals. These rights are separate from those of the owners of the actual content being broadcast.” – Wired.

The TeleRead take: Oh, great. This is just what we need for the public domain and fair use. Whenever I see the initals “WIPO,” I think “wipe out”–as in to “wipe out” individual rights. The frustrating thing is that WIPO’s actions will harm the developing countries that control so many of the organization’s votes. Do you really think that Hollywood is itching to buy and distribute that many Sudanese movies? Dr. Kamil Idris, the WIPO director shown above, hails from Sudan, for which one survey listed 0 screenwriters and 4 novelists. Needless to say, WIPO won’t be that great for us here in the States, either. Why is Senator and vice presidential candidate John Edwards so resolutely silent on copyright despite his seat on the Senate Judiciary Committe and the threat to individual rights and to affordability of content? Campaign donations? And what about other politicians, including Ralph Nader? I don’t know why Ralph’s silent on DMCAism–just that his famous courage may have its limits.

 
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