On Thu, 2011-03-03 at 18:10 +0800, Peter Butler wrote:
> >
> > Malaysia is in Watch List:
> > http://www.iipa.com/rbc/2011/2011SPEC301MALAYSIA.pdf
> >    
> 
> I don't know where to start with a document like this. It's wrongheaded 
> on so many levels that it's almost impossible to argue with. Full of 
> uninformed generalisations, fabricated figures and an arrogant 
> assumption that the rest of the world is a willing participant in the US 
> agenda to lock down content to suit the publisher rather than the customer.

For those who don't realise, this is an industry SUBMISSION to a US
government process that rates countries based on how strongly they
uphold and enforce the rights of US IP owners.  You can take it with a
large pinch of salt.  You can also make your own submission to the same
process, as I have done.  The deadline is 9 March 2011, so hurry!  The
URL for making submissions is http://www.regulations.gov/#!
documentDetail;D=USTR-2010-0037-0001.

Points to make include:

* The US is holding other countries to standards that exceed their
  obligations under international law.

* The standards to which other countries are held do not take account of
  their difference in levels of development.

* The list is hypocritical, because the US offers flexibilities such as
  "fair use" to its citizens, which offset the harshness of its IP law.
  Other countries (such as Malaysia) don't have this.

My organisation Consumers International prepares a counter-report to the
Special 301 each year: see http://A2Knetwork.org/watchlist.  If you want
more background on this process, download a copy of our 2010 report.
The 2011 edition will be released next month.

-- 
Dr Jeremy Malcolm
Project Coordinator
Consumers International
Kuala Lumpur Office for Asia-Pacific and the Middle East
Lot 5-1 Wisma WIM, 7 Jalan Abang Haji Openg, TTDI, 60000 Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia
Tel: +60 3 7726 1599

Consumers for Fair Financial Services
World Consumer Rights Day, 15 March 2011

Join the global consumer movement in demanding access to safe, fair and
competitive markets in financial services for all.
http://www.consumersinternational.org/wcrd2011

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