[Ecommerce] WIPO TO HOST SEMINAR ON INTERNET INTERMEDIARIES

[James Love]

WIPO should be asked to also look at various compulsory licensing
remuneration models for this.

http://www.wipo.int/edocs/prdocs/en/2005/wipo_ma_2005_17.html

WIPO logo
Media Alert 17
Geneva, March 23, 2005
WIPO TO HOST SEMINAR ON INTERNET INTERMEDIARIES

The management of intellectual property in the online environment raises
significant opportunities as well as challenges. On April 18, 2005, the
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) will host a seminar that
brings together international experts and business leaders, academics,
government delegates, civil society and policy makers to discuss issues
relating to copyright liability of those who act as online intermediaries.

Increasingly, interest and concern is focusing on copyright issues
relating to Internet intermediaries =96 a category of actors in the
information society that is widening as technologies develop, and may
now include Internet service providers (ISPs), bulletin board services,
online auction sites and portals and even distributors of file-sharing
software for peer-to-peer (P2P) networks. For instance, the rapid rise
and popularity of peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing networks present
copyright owners and the copyright-based industries (such as music, film
and software) with both a potentially lucrative new business model and
the threat of rampant infringement of their intellectual property
rights. What responsibility should the providers of these P2P services
bear for the actions of users who illegally trade music, films and software=
?

Internet intermediaries, as providers of services that enable these
transactions to occur, are at the center of global debate involving
complex policy, legal and business issues. The international response to
such issues has varied. For example, the French ISPs, copyright
industries and Government have signed a charter of commitment to promote
legal distribution of music and respect for intellectual property, in an
effort towards self-regulation. The Recording Industry Association of
America has instituted over 5,000 legal actions against individual file
sharers, fuelling a public debate over issues of free speech and
privacy. Court cases on these issues have taken place, or are currently
before the courts in Australia, Belgium, China, Germany, Japan and the
Netherlands, involving high stakes and millions of users.

The one-day WIPO seminar will review issues relating to copyright and
Internet intermediaries, regulatory perspectives on intermediary
liability, notice-and-takedown procedures, peer-to-peer (P2P) services
(the case of online music), and future policy directions. Speakers
include representatives of the US Copyright Office and the European
Commission, eBay and Verizon Communications and the UK Publishers
Association. Participation from the audience is encouraged.

The seminar will be held at WIPO headquarters at 34, chemin des
Colombettes, 1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland. It will run from 9 a.m. to 5
p.m. on April 18, 2005, and simultaneous interpretation will be
available in English, French and Spanish. The seminar is free of charge
and open to all interested persons, although numbers will be limited by
seating capacity. The full program and registration details are
available at http://www.wipo.int/meetings/2005/wipo_iis/en/program.html.

Journalists wishing to cover this event are requested to contact the
Media Relations and Public Affairs Section at WIPO: Tel: + 41 22 338
8161 or 338 95 47; e-mail: publicinf@wipo.int.



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--
James Love, Director, CPTech, http://www.cptech.org

Consumer Project on Technology in Washington, DC
PO Box 19367, Washington, DC 20036, USA
Tel.:  1.202.387.8030, fax: 1.202.234.5176

Consumer Project on Technology in Geneva
1 Route des  Morillons, CP 2100, 1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland
Tel: +41 22 791 6727

Mobile +1.202.361.3040
james.love@cptech.org