[A2k] Institute for Policy Innovation Statement to WIPO

[Mike Palmedo]

http://www.ipi.org/ipi/IPIPressReleases.nsf/b28b474cd6e1de35862567f300164e9b/bbafb307db0670f885256fe3004f5b0e?OpenDocument

Institute for Policy Innovation Statement to World Intellectual Property
Organization

by Sonia Hoffman on 04/14/2005

Contact: Sonia Blumstein of the Institute for Policy Innovation,
703-912-5742; 202-213-0379 (cell) or soniab@ipi.org

GENEVA, April 14 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The following is the statement made
to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) on behalf of the
Institute for Policy Innovation (IPI) by IPI president Tom Giovanetti,
during WIPO's Inter-Sessional Intergovernmental Meeting on a Development
Agenda for WIPO, in Geneva Switzerland on April 13:

The Institute for Policy Innovation is a civil society public policy
research organization. I am happy to make a statement on behalf of IPI.

If you will forgive me for corrupting a quotation from Shakespeare, "I
come not to bury WIPO, but to praise it."

I might very much like to speak on a range of IP issues, as many other
groups have. However, I recognize that we are not here to debate the
merits of IP, but rather to discuss the development agenda. My comments
are thus directed there.

One thing that has become clear from our research is that economic
growth comes through participation in markets. And, in a GLOBAL economy,
economic growth comes through participation in GLOBAL markets.

But for markets to work, they require a degree of consistency and
predictability in law. In a global economy, global markets require a
degree of consistency and predictability in law, and in a global IP
market, the same consistency and predictability in law is a prerequisite.

So, for developing nations to become fully integrated into the global
marketplace, some degree of consistency and predictability in their IP
regimes is necessary, and is one key piece in the development puzzle.

WIPO's core competency in promoting consistency in global IP regimes is
thus critical and is ALREADY directly relevant to development.

It is true as many have stated that intellectual property rights are not
ends in themselves, but are rather utilitarian instruments. However,
intellectual property rights have proven to have ENORMOUS utility, and
their importance should not be underestimated.

We find strange the assertion that intellectual property rights somehow
disadvantage small creators and developing nations. Intellectual
property rights are, after all, RIGHTS. The granting of a right to a
creator in a developing nation may be the only protection he has, and
gives him economic leverage. We believe this is a good and moral thing.

IPI views attempts to change the mandate of WIPO as based on a lack of
appreciation for the importance of global consistency and predictability
in global IP regimes. We believe that the proposals from Mexico and from
the U.S. would further the critical mission of WIPO, but that the
Friends of Development proposal represents a distraction from WIPO's
core competency. There are, after all, already many agencies with
development as a core competency.

We commend WIPO for its role in promoting development THROUGH the
powerful tool of IP, and we encourage WIPO to remain committed to this
goal. Thank you.

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The Institute for Policy Innovation is an independent and non- profit,
public policy organization with offices in Washington, DC and Dallas,
Texas.