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Pirate Parties Blocked From WIPO After US & Other Countries Complained That They Don't Support WIPO's Mission
from the but-of-course dept
A little over a year ago, the Pirate Parties International (a group representing various different local Pirate Parties) asked for permission to have "observer" status at WIPO, the UN-based World Intellectual Property Organization, an operation somewhat renowned for its generally maximalist agenda. Last year, we noted that, after complaints from Swiss, French and US delegations to WIPO, the PPI request was delayed for an entire year. Well, that year is up... and WIPO has officially rejected the request while it approved all other requests except for the Pirates and Kenya Innovation Council.
Once again, US officials were among the folks trying to block PPI from becoming an observer, expressing concerns that the Pirate Parties "don't support the objectives" of WIPO. So who did get approved? Well, among others, there was the International Society for the Development of Intellectual Property (ADALPI). So it's not like WIPO rejected organizations that came into things with a clearly biased perspective. It just wanted to reject organizations whose position WIPO officials don't like. Ridiculously, as Jamie Love points out, the US State Department first talked about being able to discuss things "free from undue interference or censorship" and then went out and blocked the Pirate Parties from being able to join WIPO as observers. Hypocritical as always. And, if you're wondering, other political parties have been allowed into other UN organizations in the past, so it's not just because the Pirates are a political party.
Once again, we see that WIPO is not actually focused on determining the most effective intellectual property regime, but rather they'll push for protectionism and maximalism because a few countries benefit strongly from such positions. And they'll even go so far as to lock out organizations that have other viewpoints.
Once again, US officials were among the folks trying to block PPI from becoming an observer, expressing concerns that the Pirate Parties "don't support the objectives" of WIPO. So who did get approved? Well, among others, there was the International Society for the Development of Intellectual Property (ADALPI). So it's not like WIPO rejected organizations that came into things with a clearly biased perspective. It just wanted to reject organizations whose position WIPO officials don't like. Ridiculously, as Jamie Love points out, the US State Department first talked about being able to discuss things "free from undue interference or censorship" and then went out and blocked the Pirate Parties from being able to join WIPO as observers. Hypocritical as always. And, if you're wondering, other political parties have been allowed into other UN organizations in the past, so it's not just because the Pirates are a political party.
Once again, we see that WIPO is not actually focused on determining the most effective intellectual property regime, but rather they'll push for protectionism and maximalism because a few countries benefit strongly from such positions. And they'll even go so far as to lock out organizations that have other viewpoints.
Reader Comments (rss)
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Um... Isn't that the whole point?
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Huh. Call yourselves pirates, decent people shun you.
"rather they'll push for protectionism and maximalism" -- Umm, you can't debate with people who don't agree that there IS any valid intellectual property. That's just axiomatic.
Disclaimer: almost anything with "World" in it I'm against, so just don't assume that because I support rational copyright that I go for this globalist crap.
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Re: Huh. Call yourselves pirates, decent people shun you.
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We don't know what this errr, group's color is that wants to join us. It's sort of the same color as night, sort of associated with being left in a fire, sort of associated with being the opposite of white, but it ain't like us. We don't want to be contaminated with it.
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It's like the idiots that chose the name GIMP for their open source program, and then complain that no legitimate businesses want to use a program named after a slur for disabled people.
I swear, techno-fetishist's are their own worst enemy.
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Re: Huh. Call yourselves pirates, decent people shun you.
Yes, you can. You can debate over the merits of intellectual property law in a civilized and reasonable manner with someone who doesn’t believe IP law should exist. It only takes having an ounce of respect for the other party and opening your mind to an opposing viewpoint instead of writing them off as dirty filthy pirates who don’t deserve due process, civil rights, or even the remotest form of human tolerance.
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All I have to say is, liberal democracy, my arse.
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Can't read German
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Re: Huh. Call yourselves pirates, decent people shun you.
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AppropriatedAppellation
Christian, Mormon, Jew, Yankee, Pixelante, The Big Bang, Impressionism, Vigilante Taxonomist, Obamacare, and now Pirate are but a few examples of insulting names that have come to be worn with pride.
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How do you know that's what is was named after? The insulting term for disabled people is only one of the things "gimp" means. It could have been a reference to people who enjoy sex while wearing full-body latex suits, not disabled people.
Or it could just mean "GNU Image Manipulation Program". But why go with that when it's so much more fun to imagine that some insult was intended?
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Problem with PPI
In their annual reports last year, half the board said 'the other half are a problem, and here's the facts to prove it'. The problem half were, however, running the voting, and 'mysteriously' got re-elected.
PPI, it's a farce.
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*facepalm*
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Re: Huh. Call yourselves pirates, decent people shun you.
They didn't ask to come along and debate, they asked to observe. If you're a such a strong supporter of copyright, why would you be afraid of having people who disagree with your position simply listen to you?
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Response to: Anonymous Coward on Sep 25th, 2013 @ 6:14pm
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Response to: Anonymous Coward on Sep 25th, 2013 @ 6:14pm
stay classy ac
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Response to: Anonymous Coward on Sep 25th, 2013 @ 3:11pm
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Re: Can't read German
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The Pirate Party should ignore them and turn up anyway, int nhe interests of "fairness and balance".
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So of course they're going to try to push out opposition, these aren't people willing to debate the folds in their pockets.
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VERY fun game, by the way... if you can find a copy.
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Re: Huh. Call yourselves pirates, decent people shun you.
Monopolies will always end in some uggly fashion, doesn't matter what you call them, eventually everyone realizes what they really are.
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Re: Huh. Call yourselves pirates, decent people shun you.
If they can allow the International Society for the Development of Intellectual Property (ADALPI) who are clearly biased towards the IP extremism then why not allow the polar opposite?
As for the name, it's clearly established internationally that the Pirate Parties are a force to reckon. Only petty trolls like you or people that don't like them still make fun of the name. Pirate has become a symbol for freedom of speech.
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Re: Huh. Call yourselves pirates, decent people shun you.
Oh, no you don't! You want perpetual copyright, and that's not rational at all. What next, sacrificing our firstborn to the MPAA and RIAA?
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Re: Huh. Call yourselves pirates, decent people shun you.
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Re: Huh. Call yourselves pirates, decent people shun you.
Really? Are all 14,000 or so of the these so called "indecent" people to be "shunned" also?
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3048178
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Union
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