[DMCA-Activists] Letter to WIPO on Stolen Documents

[Seth Johnson]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [Broadcast-discuss] letter to WIPO on stolen documents
Date: Thu, 18 Nov 2004 06:37:09 -0800 (PST)
From: "Robin Gross" <address@hidden>
To: address@hidden

18 November 2004

Mrs. Rita Hayes, WIPO Deputy-Director General

Dear Mrs. Hayes:

We welcome WIPO’s recent efforts at greater transparency and
support for civil society participation at these important
meetings.  It is therefore with regret that we have to inform you
of difficulties we have experienced during this 12th Session of
the Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights.  We write
to you to request your assistance to avoid a repetition of these
unfortunate events.

Both yesterday and again today, written statements provided by IP
Justice and the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which were placed
on the table designated for floor papers, were stolen within
minutes of being deposited on the table.  Additionally yesterday
documents provided by the Union for the Public Domain were also
missing shortly after being placed on the table.

This morning, many of these documents were recovered from the
trash can in the first floor men’s restroom.  Another set of IP
Justice statements as well as copies of the alternative NGO
Proposal for a Broadcasting Treaty were recovered from behind a
desk on the ground floor.  These documents provided by IP
Justice, EFF, and the Union for the Public Domain were critical
of the Broadcasting Treaty.  The papers drafted by the
broadcasting industry, urging the treaty’s adoption, however,
remain undisturbed on the table for floor papers.

Delegates’ receipt of written statements provided by civil
society are doubly crucial because of the limited time that has
been allocated for interventions for civil society during this
meeting.  The briefing papers’ disappearance causes us particular
difficulty given WIPO’s new procedure to no longer photo-copy NGO
floor papers for the delegates.  In order for us to get
replacements, we would have to get on a bus and travel back into
town to make more copies for the delegates, who have invited us
to submit advice on these issues.

Currently, we have placed a representative from civil society
near the table for floor papers to “guard” these written
statements.  But clearly this in not an acceptable situation for
NGOs or WIPO.  We request that you take adequate and effective
measures to protect the materials placed on the floor paper
table, regardless of the views expressed in those statements. 
Thank you for your attention to these matters.

Very truly,


Robin Gross
IP Justice
address@hidden

Cory Doctorow
Electronic Frontier Foundation
address@hidden

David Tannenbaum
Shyamkrishna Balganesh
Union for the Public Domain
address@hidden


cc: US Delegation, SCCR Chair


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