129 lines
5.2 KiB
HTML
129 lines
5.2 KiB
HTML
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
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<version>1</version>
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<author id="greve"/>
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<date>
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<original content="2006-06-28"/>
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</date>
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<head>
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<title>Observing WIPO - Statement at the 2nd PCDA, 28 June 2006</title>
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</head>
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<body>
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<p id="category">
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<a href="/activities/policy.html">WIPO</a>
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</p>
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<h1>Statement by Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) </h1>
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<h4>SECOND SESSION OF THE PROVISIONAL COMMITTEE ON PROPOSALS RELATED TO A WIPO DEVELOPMENT AGENDA (Geneva, 26-30 June 2006)</h4>
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<!--<p id="introduction"> Summary: </p>-->
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<p align="center">
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[ <a href="statement-20060628.en.pdf">PDF Version (55k)</a> ]
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</p>
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<p>Mr. Chairman,</p>
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<p>the Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) has various comments to
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make in relation to the document PCDA/1/6 Prov. 2 and the discussions
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that followed.</p>
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<p>Regarding item B22, the FSFE is surprised to see Free Software and
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Creative Commons described as activities outside the mandate and scope
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of copyright. Additionally, we understood the distinguished delegate
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of Mexico to have a similar understanding. As also explained in our
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''<a href="fser.html">Free Software Essentials Reference</a>'' paper available on the table
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outside, the vast majority of Free Software is using copyright
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licensing for its software.</p>
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<p>Similarly, <a href="http://www.creativecommons.org" target="_blank">Creative Commons</a> consists of a set of modular
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copyright licenses for artistic works. We assume that it is not the
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intention of WIPO to declare copyright in general outside its
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scope. So our recommendation is to rephrase point B22 along the lines
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of <b>intensifying activities</b> for all uses of the copyright system,
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including Free Software and Creative Commons.</p>
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<p>Regarding items A18 and 25 as well as C13,15,16 and 18, the Free
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Software Foundation Europe would like to direct the attention of the
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assembly to the difficulties of the European Commission in trying to
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reestablish a competitive market in Europe vis-a-vis Microsoft. This
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case provides an excellent demonstration of the difficulties
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experienced by industrialised countries to limit monopoly abuse, and
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why publicly available technical specifications are <b>not</b>
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sufficient to maintain an Open Standard.</p>
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<p>This is increasingly
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being understood by legislators in several countries, such as
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Denmark. In its motion B103, the Danish parliament defines an Open
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Standard along three criteria. Any such standard should be a) well
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documented with its full specification publically available, b) freely
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implementable without economic, political or legal limitations on
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implementation and use, and c) standardized and maintained in an open
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forum (a so-called standards organisation) through an open process.</p>
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<p>We also encourage delegates to take a look at the reasoning of the
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motion, which makes quite clear that Open Standards are essential to
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stop the spread of software dependencies from one group of users or
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organisation to another.</p>
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<p>As the distinguished delegate of India pointed out in his statement,
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Free Software is an important element of capacity building, it is the
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best choice to give independence to governments, and it helps the
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''common man and woman.'' We see this point as relevant in particular
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to items A2, 6, 7, 11, 12, 14 and 15, also B9, 11, 27 and 28 and C1,
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3, 10, 11, 12.</p>
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<p>Mr. Chairman,</p>
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<p>Free Software is relevant to WIPO not only in
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terms of being licensed under copyright, it is also relevant in so far
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as WIPO is planning to make massive use of software for many of its
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Development Agenda activities, especially A11, 12, 14, B9 and
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D11.</p>
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<p>For all these items, should the general assembly agree
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to move forward with them, Free Software and Open Standards will be
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essential building blocks for WIPO in its development related
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activities.</p>
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<p>It is indeed our understanding that by spurring this debate, the
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Development Agenda can generally help WIPO to adapt to future
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challenges. It is increasingly understood that independence of
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political organisations and structures from the corporate interest of
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single vendors is a critical issue for democracy. Several political
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bodies around the world have already adapted their procurement
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policies in ways that will secure their independence and political
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mandate by demanding control over the software they depend on for
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their daily work. FSFE believes that WIPO as an organisation faces
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similar issues in all its activities, and should take them into
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consideration in due time.</p>
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<p>As a closing remark let me add that FSFE also considers items E7 and 8
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to be central in WIPOs quest for more transparency, democracy and
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all-stakeholder involvement. We therefore encourage all delegations to
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offer their support to these points.</p>
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<p>Thank you, Mr. Chairman.</p>
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<p><em>
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Statement by Mr. <a href="/about/people/greve/">Georg C.F. Greve</a> <<email mailto="yes">greve@fsfe.org</email>>
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<p div="indent">Free Software Foundation Europe, President</p>
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<p div="indent">UN World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS),
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<ul>
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Civil Society Patents, Copyrights, Trademarks (PCT) Working Group, Co-Coordinator<br />
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First phase Civil Society representative, German Governmental Delegation
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</ul></p>
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</em></p>
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</body>
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