[Lac] [Fwd: [PSL-Brasil] WIPO Lockout Inspires Global Protest]

[Marcelo D'Elia Branco]

Referente: http://www.petitiononline.com/wipo/

-------- Mensagem encaminhada --------
De: Pedro de Paranagua Moniz <pedro_paranagua at yahoo.com.br>
Responder-A: Projeto Software Livre BRASIL 

http://www.eff.org/news/archives/2005_03.php#003467 
March 25, 2005
WIPO Lockout Inspires Global Protest
Residents of 56 Nations and Members of Hundreds of NGOs Sign Petition to
Open Meetings on Intellectual Property and the Developing World

Geneva - When the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
earlier this month shut out many public interest groups from two April
meetings about the impact of patent, copyright and related regimes on
the developing world, many civil society groups greeted the news with
concern.

Most of the groups barred from the meetings, which are to focus on
whether WIPO should adopt a "Development Agenda," are public interest
organizations with special expertise on issues of economic development.
Without the input of these groups, the meetings can do little to further
WIPO's understanding of how patents, copyright, and related rights
affect developing nations.

Seeking a more balanced discussion of the Development Agenda, two
Brazilian activists, Pedro de Paranagua Moniz and Pedro AD Rezende, as
well as the Electronic Frontier Foundation's European Affairs
Coordinator, Cory Doctorow, took action: they produced an open letter to
WIPO on this issue and solicited comments on the Internet.

As a result, this week over 800 individuals and groups, including EFF,
signed an open letter to WIPO urging it to allow more groups to
participate in these historic meetings. Residents of 56 different
nations signed on, along with members of non-government organizations
(NGOs) ranging from a Brazilian AIDS health group to Yale University.
The letter, called the "WIPO Manifesto for Transparency, Participation,
Balance and Access," asks that public interest NGOs be allowed to
participate in the Development Agenda meetings as ad hoc observers and
calls on WIPO to provide assistance in creating a global regime that
facilitates open access to knowledge.

"WIPO is undertaking a long-overdue and halting journey from a place
where industrial interests meet to safeguard their marketplace
advantages, to a place where the UN's humanitarian values hold center
stage," said Doctorow. "This letter is the latest step in the important
campaign to refocus WIPO on providing effective technical assistance
that meets the real needs of its developing country members."

The open letter was delivered to Dr. Kamil Idris, Director General of
WIPO, on March 23, 2005, with more than 800 signatories, and it is still
open for signature.

Contacts:

Cory Doctorow
European Affairs Coordinator
Electronic Frontier Foundation
cory at eff.org

Gwen Hinze
International Affairs Director
Electronic Frontier Foundation
gwen at eff.org