[Ecommerce] Financial Times: Fears of Polarisation if Bush nominee takes top WIPO post

[Thiru Balasubramaniam]

http://news.ft.com/cms/s/b880c8be-e154-11da-90ad-0000779e2340.html

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FEARS OF POLARISATION IF BUSH NOMINEE TAKES TOP WIPO POST
By Frances Williams
Published: May 12 2006 03:00 | Last updated: May 12 2006 03:00

A Washington move to install a senior official at the US Patent Office
in one of the top positions at the World Intellectual Property
Organisation has worried other Wipo members who fear it could signal
greater polarisation and politicisation of the United Nations agency,
*writes Frances Williams in Geneva*.


The Bush administration has put forward Michael Keplinger, senior
counsellor at the US Patent and Trademark Office, for a deputy
director-general post

Mr Keplinger would replace Rita Hayes, a Democrat and former US
ambassador to the World Trade Organisation.

Diplomats in Geneva said they expected Mr Keplinger, a veteran US
copyright negotiator, to back Washington's drive for stronger
intellectual property rights in Wipo negotiations, including the
sensitive talks on a proposed broadcasting treaty nowunder the wing of
Ms Hayes.

Mr Keplinger has been head of the US negotiating team on the
broadcasting pact.

Kamil Idris, Wipo director- general, is due to nominate candidates for
this and three other senior posts for approval by a Wipo committee in
mid-June.