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Email: robin at ipjustice dot org  IP Justice Addresses World Summit in Tunis UN Sidelines IPR-Reform & Digital Rights (Tunis) - IP Justice is participating in the United Nations' World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in Tunis from 14-19 November 2005. IP Justice is at WSIS to raise awareness about the harm to traditional civil liberties, such as freedom of expression and privacy rights, caused by the current international trend of expanding IP rights. In this second and final WSIS summit, international leaders meet to discuss issues such as "Internet governance" and "bridging the gap in the digital divide". IP Justice addressed the WSIS General Plenary and has organized two WSIS panel discussions to discuss WIPO-reform and P2P file-sharing. IP Justice Executive Director Robin Gross was nominated by the WSIS Civil Society Secretariat to address the WSIS General Plenary during the Tunis Summit. Ms. Gross is perhaps the only speaker to address the plenary who advocates for the reform of intellectual property rights (IPR), which have been skewed in favor of IPR holders and against the public interest. Read IP Justice's speech here. "Large entertainment companies' fear of Internet piracy has triggered an over-reaction that is among the greatest threats to our digital rights," said Robin Gross, Executive Director of IP Justice, an international civil liberties organization. Unfortunately the topic of the proper balance in setting intellectual property rights has been largely ignored throughout WSIS. Considering the fact that IPR is one of the most important issues shaping both laws and technologies in the information society, its absence in WSIS debates is troubling. Stanford University Law Professor Lawrence Lessig reports that he was explicitly told that he could not discuss intellectual property rights at a WSIS preparatory meeting. How can the recognized excesses in IP rights be too controversial of a topic for the United Nations to consider? Some worry that the UN has little incentive to highlight problems at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the UN's own Specialized Agency that convenes treaties to set IP rights. One controversial issue surrounding WSIS, which is being widely discussed, is the decision to hold the UN Summit in Tunisia. The Tunisian government is renowned for its harsh treatment of bloggers and other online journalists who criticize the policies of Tunisian authorities. Internet access is highly restricted by the government and many websites are simply unreachable. Tunisians face imprisonment for questioning their government's treatment of civil liberties. Since the United States Government is desperate for a political ally in the region, it will not intercede in Tunisia's human rights violations. Robin Gross stated, "I plan to take full advantage of the 'diplomatic immunity' I am granted as a UN Summit attendee to discuss the importance of freedom of expression with the locals. The right to discuss unpopular opinions or question government policies is a fundamental human right guaranteed under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Unfortunately, I'll have more freedom to speak in Tunisia than Tunisians are granted by their own government." Certainly one of the most important issues at the Tunis Summit is the future of "Internet governance". The US has historically controlled root access to the Internet, but the international community is growing increasingly uncomfortable with US dominance in cyberspace. Some predict that WSIS may lead to the creation of a new international body to rival the US Commerce Department's Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) for control over the root. The European Union recently joined a broad coalition of countries including Brazil, China, and Russia that advocate for a transfer of power to an international entity. "Despite legitimate concern over US dominance, an alternative of a highly bureaucratic entity with even fewer guarantees of freedom of expression seems to be 'a remedy worse than the disease'", said Robin Gross. Stay tuned for more from WSIS.... IP Justice Executive Director Robin Gross speech to WSIS General Plenary on Friday 18 November 2005 Live webcast available here. IP Justice WSIS parallel event panel discussion: "The Role of WIPO and NGO's to Balance Intellectual Property Rights" 16 November Thursday (15:00-17:00) ~ Room Goulette in Kram PalExpo IP Justice Executive Director Robin Gross moderates the panel discussion More detailed info on panel here: http://www.ipjustice.org/WSIS/WIPOpanel.shtml IP Justice & Transnational Radical Party WSIS parallel event panel discussion: "P2P File-Sharing, Digital Rights, and e-Democracy" 17 November Thursday (17:00-19:00) ~ Room Sousse in Kram PalExpo IP Justice Executive Director Robin Gross moderates the panel discussion More detailed info on panel here: http://www.ipjustice.org/WSIS/P2P_panel.shtml IP Justice WSIS Information and Analysis: http://www.ipjustice.org/WSIS/ Official WSIS Website: http://www.itu.int/wsis/
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