Public Interest Groups Face Uphill Battle at WIPO Meeting

Patrick Norager writes "As WIPO creates new rights for broadcasters, documents critical of these rights created by EFF and IP Justice were stolen and recovered in a bathroom trashcan." EFF has a general statement on the meeting with links for more information.

It's a "downhill battle"

[CyberThalamus]

One group fighting music IP is called the downhill battle. All this pessimism can really get to you until you realize that these laws will ultimately fail. It's like trying to stop a waterfall. Check out infoanarchy.org for a view on how things will really turn out.

And cynics are, as a group, highly redundant and unoriginal.

Guard the Table, EFF!

[mfh]

Both yesterday and again today, written statements provided by IP Justice and the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which were placed on the table designated for floor papers, were stolen within minutes of being deposited on the table. Additionally yesterday documents provided by the Union for the Public Domain were also missing shortly after being placed on the table.

I find these tactics to be what I would expect from the thug-like governments and greedy corporations; they can't secure with truth and justice what they can secure with theivery and wickedness. Not all companies would condone this kind of behaviour, but it is becoming evident that the amoral progress towards global capitalism are shattering our freedoms... freedoms our forefathers fought and died to protect... freedoms our nations were built upon. I find these recent criminal actions to be very enlightening, in turn, that the very message protecting our rights for programming and developmental freedoms, was forced to place a guard at the table.

The guard at the table, protecting the documents to be heard at WIPO, seems to be a good image, but also a telling image. How long will it be before we can no longer place a guard at the table? How long before justice itself is patented by some company?

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) will be there to urge delegates to reject aspects of the treaty that would impoverish the public domain and thwart innovation.

Guard the table oh great EFF! I will continue to write, program and design anything I want to, IP bullshit [slashdot.org] be damned!!!

Just goes...

[BJZQ8]

This just goes to show how far these corporations and individuals are willing to go to maintain their monopolistic control of what they have. It is worse than the railroads of the 1800's and the Standard Oils of the 1900's...I do not in the least doubt they will do anything, including murder, to maintain their way of life.

This just sickens me.

[Tuxedo Jack]

It's really rather sad when somebody (we all know who they're working for, but don't let this be tried in the court of public opinion; get evidence first) takes papers that go after the industry and attempt to hide them.

But for the love of Jack Valenti, do it right - burn them or shred them, don't dump them behind a trash can!

Is it possible that that person wanted the documents found at the last minute to draw up controversy over this?

Re:Guard the Table, EFF!

[GigsVT]

This is exactly the sort of thing the second amendment was created for.

Acts of Desperation

[Doesn't_Comment_Code]

While I never like to see sleezy behaviour, I've always thought it was a good sign when your adversary starts acting out of desperation. It means:

-you are a real threat
-their normal measures have not beaten you
-they are likely to make mistakes due to their "emotional" state

It is terrible that someone stole material and threw it away. And it is terrible that people's hard work has been set back. BUT, whoever did this is backed into a corner and feeling very threatened.

Re:Guard the Table, EFF!

[Anonymous Coward]

This is exactly the sort of thing the second amendment was created for.
Strangely I have to agree with you here, and I deplore guns.

Re:Acts of Desperation

[adam31]

-you are a real threat
-their normal measures have not beaten you

While this is a 'good sign', it's not really a material advantage. When facing a strong opponent that you are squaring to attack, it's generally best to be overlooked and unthreatening as long as possible... then BAM! FireFox 'em just when they think you're irrelevent!

Man that's a cool verb.

Just like the Good Old Days!

[serutan]

Behold our modern IP warlords, staking out their territory, taxing us peasants for living on it and dictating how and when we can use it, hiring warriors to defend it against others, and all the while declaring that their property is sacred and their authority comes from God.

Re:Guard the Table, EFF!

[egarland]

..but it is becoming evident that the amoral progress towards global capitalism are shattering our freedoms..

This is not capitalism. Capitalism requires a system of supports and limits to keep it functioning properly. There are many roads companies can take out of capitalist competition and in order for a capitalist economy to work properly these roads must be controlled. These routes out of competition include monopoly, government corruption, poisoning of competition, displacement of expenses as well as many others. We've left these roads open and now companies that abused, lied, cheated, and bought the system are the winners. This is a horrible thing and has resulted in generations of businessmen who think that's the right way to do business instead of simply delivering the best product to the consumer you can.

Reforming this system will require us to reign in these rogue non-competing companies and limit their power. Is there an anti-corruption PAC that I could join that would tell me who of my representatives is taking money in exchange for favorable laws and would support their opponent?

Re:Acts of Desperation

[Anonymous Coward]

First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you win.

-- Mohandas Ghandi.

Thanks, Redhat, for reminding us.

Re:Guard the Table, EFF!

[Morosoph]

Not all companies would condone this kind of behaviour, but it is becoming evident that the amoral progress towards global capitalism are shattering our freedoms...

What's happening here isn't capitalism, but is rather regulatory capture, whereby an entity distorts the regulators' criteria for judgement, yielding an inefficient outcome. The most potent captures of regulatory processes are typically state entities, but large companies come a close second.

Re:Guard the Table, EFF!

[bheerssen]

I'm not sure that this is exactly what you are looking for, but you can start at OpenSecrets.org.

http://www.opensecrets.org/ [opensecrets.org]

Re:Acts of Desperation

[mOdQuArK!]

Ghandi's passive-aggressive tactics work only when your enemy likes to consider itself civilized, and can be shamed into doing the right thing.

If your enemy doesn't give a damn about such things, they will cheerfully destroy you and continue on their merry way without a backwards glance.