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View Full Version : Tech companies oppose WIPO treaty on TV rights


Lmhr
09-10-2006, 08:32 PM
Signal piracy clampdown 'unnecessary'
By OUT-LAW.COM
Published Friday 8th September 2006 09:20 GMT
Dell, HP, AT&T, Sony and others have joined forces to oppose a plan that would give broadcasters a whole new set of intellectual property rights over television programmes. They will fight to stop the UN proposal being adopted internationally.

The plan being opposed is a new broadcast treaty from UN agency the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO). Called the Treaty on the Protection of Broadcasts and Broadcasting Organisations, it creates a new class of IP rights designed to protect broadcasters from the theft of their TV signals.

"Creating broad new intellectual property rights in order to protect broadcast signals is misguided and unnecessary and risks serious unintended negative consequences," says a protest document signed by the technology companies and a range of other firms and public bodies. The protest is being co-ordinated by digital rights activist group the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF).

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/09/08/wipo_treaty_opposition/

SkaarjMaster
09-10-2006, 09:00 PM
OK, I'm confused. Is this a good or bad thing? :dunno: :confused:

Angel_Mapper
09-10-2006, 09:53 PM
They just want to protect the signals so they can start up their secret Videodrome project.