India and Hollywood
From India, this message:
Even in a developed country, where the monopoly profits of the domestic IP rights holders are recycled through the economy and so benefit the public in varying degrees, there is continuing debate on the equity and fairness of such protection, with some even questioning its claimed social benefits. Given the total absence of any mandatory cross-border resource transfers or welfare payments, and the absence of any significant domestic recycling of the monopoly profits of foreign IP rights holders, the case for strong IP protection in developing countries is without any economic basis. Harmonization of IP laws across countries with asymmetric distribution of IP assets is, clearly, intended to serve the interest of rent seekers in developed countries rather than that of the public in developing countries.
And this:
The message of the Development Agenda is clear: no longer are developing countries prepared to accept this approach, or continuation of the status quo.
In other news, the European equivalent of the MPAA is suggesting that ISPs agree to immediately forward subscriber personal information (with no right to object) where infringement is suspected; filter/block download sites; and prohibit their subscribers from operating servers.
All of this is happening at WIPO. The MPAA wants mandatory vigilanteeism, and is pushing for ISPs to serve as judge and jury and prosecutor. Meanwhile, India is fed up with overreaching assertions of content protection. Brazil, now a center of open source enthusiasm, has had enough.
On the developing countries front, WIPO has agreed to hold more (and more open) meetings. It's going to be a long slog on the ISP liability front. We need an India to speak its mind on ISP liability. If only the US had the vision to take the lead.