re-packager. The works covered would include both
copyrighted works, and also public domain works. The
on material posted to yahoo lists. Fascists.
incompatible with Apple and Linux browsers.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 15 Sep 2005 17:40:11 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Friday 16 September 2005 Important Meeting on Extraordinary New
Proposed Pseudo-Copyright Treaty
An informal meeting on a proposed international treaty called the WIPO
Webcasting Treaty will be held tomorrow in Washington DC. The proposed
treaty would grant to a re-packager rights to works whose copyrights are
not held by the re-packager. The works covered would include both
copyrighted works, and also public domain works. The re-packager
would be
be granted a new right against the copyright holder and against the
public.
The treaty is formally a radical anti-copyright proposal in that a
re-packager of my copyrighted works, by the mere act of re-packaging and
publication on the Net, would have a right to my works. Whether or
not I
had granted the repackager any rights, any powers, any permissions. The
new rights would be legally effective against me the author/copyright
holder, and third parties. The proposed treaty would hand to anybody
who
re-publishes my work, a pseudo-copyright in my work. It would allow the
creation of a pseudo-copyright in Shakespeare's works, should the
repackager place Shakespeare's works on a website.
I say pseudo-copyright because clearly, this is not a copyright under
the
laws of the USA, nor could such a new government created monopoly be
lawfully legislated under the exclusive rights clause of the United
States
constitution.
All those who support traditional copyright, all those who support
freedom
of the Net, all those who think that Yahoo can never get a copyright in
their work by mere re-publication, please call Jule Sigall, Assistant
Register of Copyrights, and ask to attend this meeting and state the
case
for copyright and the Net, the case against this absurd treaty.
Jule Sigall's office telephone number is
202 707-8350
Below I quote, with personal material removed, a note from Manon Ress
on the
proposed treaty.
oo--JS.
Meeting:
WHEN: Friday September 16, 2005 from 10:30 to 11:30am
WHERE: Copyright Office, LM-403 of the Madison Building, Library of
Congress,
101 Independence Ave SE. Washington DC
RE: WIPO Webasting treaty
The informal meeting is with Jule Sigall (LOC), Mike Keplinger
(PTO) and
Marla
Poor (LOC) at Copyright Office, LM-403 of the Madison Building,
Library of
Congress from 10:30 to 11:30 101 Independence Ave SE Washington DC.
None of the people involved really care nor want to understand how the
internet
is working and they are negotiating a treaty which will give
webcasters (very
broadly defined in the draft) exclusive rights to what they
"webcast", ie
text,
images and combinations. Basically everything we do on the net.
They are
seeking to add a layer of rights to works (already covered by
copyright or in
the public domain), rights that will give them economical power but
also
control of distribution of works. The copyright owners should be
against
this
new layer that will overlap with their rights... but as we
discussed, they
recently changed their tune and are now quiet about the treaty.
Note that this treaty is being pushed by Yahoo and Murdoch
(Commerce and the
White house) and the US delegations has not had ONE public
consultation on
the
topic. I have been asking for public consultations for months and
just got
word
that we could have a small informal meeting.
The US delegation (and the EU now) are pushing for inclusion of
webcasters
into
a more general WIPO treaty "updating rights of broadcasters" and
the World
intellectual property organization will be proposing a diplomatic
conference
for this year at the General Assembly on Sept 28, 2005. Once a
treaty is
done,
it will move to the US and it will be most difficult to change
anything.
Many of us thought that such a greedy and stupid move from the US
and EU
casters would go no where... but it looks as if it is on the fast
track.
However, It's not too late to listen to the US delegation
"explanations",
ask
them a few questions and request a public consultation with RFC on
the impact
of giving webcasters exclusive rights on content distribution etc...
If you need more information, let me know. Jamie should be sending
you his
take on this shortly.
Thank you again
manon
************************************************
Manon Ress
www.cptech.org
Consumer Project on Technology in Washington, DC USA
Tel.: +1.202.332.2670, Ext 16 Fax: +1.202.332.2673
Consumer Project on Technology in Geneva, 1 Route des Morillons,
CP 2100,
1211
Geneva 2, Switzerland. Tel: +41 22 791 6727
Consumer Project on Technology in London, 24 Highbury Crescent,
London, N5
1RX,
UK. Tel:+44(0)207 226 6663 ex 252. Mob:+44(0)790 386 4642. Fax:
+44(0)207 354
0607
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Please let us stay on topic and be civil.
