Digital Rights + Internet Governance + Innovation Policy

IP Justice Report from 2006 Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in Athens

The inaugural meeting of the United Nations Internet Governance Forum (IGF) is officially over, but it is really only the beginning. An outgrowth of 2003-2005 World Summit of Information Society (WSIS), the IGF, a 4-day multi-stakeholder dialogue forum for policy issues related to "Internet Governance", was held 30 October - 2 November 2006 in Athens, Greece, the birthplace of democracy. Over 1500 participants from governments, civil society, and business came from all corners of the world with a vision of building an "Internet for Development", the meeting's official theme. Internet policy discussions were grouped into 4 main categories: openness, security, diversity, and access. Each of 4 policy themes were discussed in a main plenary session and a number of complementary workshops. ...

IGF Internet Bill of Rights Workshop to Promote Digital Rights for Users

Today at the UN Internet Governance Forum (IGF), I participated on the Internet Bill of Rights Workshop to discuss the creation of an “Internet Bill of Rights” to articulate the global rights and duties of Internet users from the viewpoint of the individual. Check out some video clips from the workshop ...

Internet Bill of Rights Proposed (BBC)

A bill of rights for the internet age has been proposed at a United Nations' conference in Athens. The bill would update and restate rights that have been enshrined for centuries, said Robin Gross of civil liberties group IP Justice. The proposal was made at the Internet Governance Forum, at which the future of the net is being discussed. "The rights we have enjoyed in the traditional age must move with us to the digital age," said Ms Gross.

Chinese Govt. tells IGF: “We do not have [Internet] restrictions at all” & IGF Questions Balance of IPR in Cyberspace

The inaugural meeting of the United Nations Internet Governance Forum (IGF) hosted lively discussion during today's "Openness" session, which focused on online freedom of expression, the free flow of information, and access to knowledge. During the session, a representative from the government of China had the audacity to tell a room of 800 IGF participants that China doesn't restrict access to websites. The audience hissed with disapproval upon hearing this massive bold-face lie and several people even shouted out "liar" in a number of languages. Read more and see video clips...

Sun to plug OpenDocument to Global Summit

Sun Microsystems Inc and like-minded organizations will promote the use of open standards, including the OpenDocument Format much feared by Microsoft Corp, at the Internet Governance Forum summit this week in Athens, Greece. The company, along with supporters including IP Justice and the Consumer Project on Technology, will urge governments to adopt procurement practices that recognize open technology standards as important, and forbid buying only proprietary technology.

UN Internet Governance Forum (IGF) Opens in Athens: IP Justice Sponsors 3 Workshops on Internet Policy Issues

The inaugural meeting of the United Nations Internet Governance Forum (IGF) takes place in Athens, Greece from 30 October – 2 November 2006. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has convened the forum to build multi-stakeholder dialogue on Internet policy issues. Over 1500 participants from around the world are expected to attend the forum to identify emerging issues and make recommendations intended to foster the sustainability, robustness, security, stability and development of the Internet. In May 2006, Annan appointed IP Justice Executive Director Robin Gross to the IGF Advisory Group to help shape the policy dialogue. “The IGF was created out of recognition that the Internet has connected the world’s people together like never before, and we must work together to build an Internet that fosters a free flow of information, innovation and development for all,” said Robin Gross. Together with a number of other NGOs, industry and governments, IP Justice is co-sponsoring three workshops at IGF on the topics of “An Internet Bill of Rights”, “Access to Knowledge and Freedom of Expression” and “Open Standards”. Details on the 3 workshops are below....

DVD-Jon Liberates the iPod – Digital Music Wars Take New Direction – Unlocking the Devices

Jon Johansen has done it again! He has has figured out how to improve existing technology by reverse engineering it and building innovative new software that expands consumer choice -- this time for digital music. You may remember in 1999, when 15-year-old Jon Johansen posted DeCSS, a tool created to build a DVD player for the Linux operating system, and started a fire-storm of movie studio lawsuits under the brand new 1998 US Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) and California trade secrets law. (Jon was also acquitted twice in Norway by the Norwegian Supreme Court). The DeCSS case was my first case as an attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), and we were all treading on unchartered territory in those days. Since then, the DMCA and other anti-circumvention laws have created a legal quagmire for reverse engineers that has kept us all too busy. ....

2 Privacy Workshops at IGF to Explore Security, Privacy & Globalization

Take a look at these two privacy workshops to be held at the Internet Governance Forum in Athens on 31 October 2006. i) "Privacy and Identity Matters" Chaired by Gus Hosein of the London School of Economics and Political Science, and, ii) "Privacy, Development, and Globalisation" Chaired by Ralf Bendrath of the University of Bremen and WSIS Privacy & Security Working Group. Read more.

IP Justice’s Top 10 Reasons to Reject the WIPO Broadcast Treaty

1. Eliminates the public domain. 2. Creates obligations that drastically exceed international standards. 3. Chills freedom of expression similarly to U.S. Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). 4. Threatens to regulate Internet transmissions of media. Read more .....

IP Justice Statement at WIPO 42nd General Assembly

"IP Justice strongly recommends, that Member States decide against convening a Diplomatic Conference to draft a Broadcast Treaty. At the 15th Session of the SCCR several Member States made clear their objection against moving forward based on the draft proposal. The SCCR Chairman’s decision to convene a diplomatic conference is premature and lacks the consensus necessary for legitimate democratic law-making. ..."

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