Status:
IGF Theme(s) for workshop: Emerging Issues
Main theme question address by workshop: Question 2: What are acceptable and proportionate measures that offer Intellectual Property protection
Concise description of the proposed workshop:
This workshop aims to build on previous workshops at the IGF, such as “Copyright under a magnifying glass: thought provoking ideas” organized by ISOC and WIPO last year. It intends to take the copyright debate one step further and concentrate on:
• finding common ground and establishing a minimum set of globally acceptable standards or principles, that could lead to a minimum-level of harmonization at global level, ideally in the medium-term;
• discussing how such principles could be legally enforced.
In recent weeks there have been various new initiatives that attempt to internationally regulate international property rights. Initiatives such as SOPA, PIPA and ACTA have demonstrated the difficulties in obtaining the correct balance between protecting intellectual property rights and preserving the openness of the internet. These initiatives have largely attempted to preserve out-dated systems. However, they have helped the copyright debate become a public debate. In addition to the above-mentioned initiatives, there are many other legislative initiatives currently taking place at EU level and at international level. However, at the IGF we have the opportunity to hold multi-stakeholder discussions which are free of pressure to produce binding legislation.
This workshop therefore intends to concentrate on developing a minimum set of standards. For this we need to analyse various aspects of copyright, such as exclusive rights, limitations and exceptions, collective management, enforcement and how these need to be rethought for the digital world. We need to establish where our boundaries lie and find a common denominator where all interests at stake – those of artists, businesses and consumers - are adequately represented. The process of digitalization, and therefore how content is created and consumed, is forcing us rethink and reestablish a correct balance of interests.
Once common principles have been established, the challenge of enforcement lies ahead. Do we require an international tribunal (such as for example the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea) or could improved practical cooperation between law enforcement authorities do the job? Other challenges, such as phishing sites and child pornography have been successfully tackled at international level and should be used as best practice case studies when combating copyright infringement.
Background Paper:
Name of the organiser(s) of the workshop and their affiliation to various stakeholder groups:
Mr. Jimmy Schulz, Member of the German Parliament, Govt., WEOG
Have you, or any of your co-organisers, organised an IGF workshop before?: No
Please provide link(s) to workshop(s) or report(s):
Provide the names and affiliations of the panellists you are planning to invite:
Mr. Vinton Cerf, Vice-President and Chief Internet Evangelist, Google, WEOG (to be invited)
Mr. Richard Stallman, President of the Free Software Foundation, NGO, WEOG (to be invited)
Mr. Kurt Opsahl, Senior Staff Attorney, Electronic Frontier Foundation, NGO, WEOG (to be invited)
Mr. Fumihiko Moriya, Senior General Manager, Intellectual Property Division, Sony Corporation, Asia Pacific (to be invited)
Mr. Trevor C. Clarke, Assistant Director General, Culture and Creative Industries Sector, WIPO, WEOG (to be invited)
Expert from the Copyright Office, Azerbaijan, Govt. (to be invited)
Name of Remote Moderator(s):