The Register: So WIPO, Why Did You Scrap the Open Source Meeting?

“WIPO is an international organisation dedicated to promoting
the use and protection of works of the human spirit. These
works–intellectual property–are expanding the bounds of science
and technology and enriching the world of the arts. Through its
work, WIPO plays an important role in enhancing the quality and
enjoyment of life and helps create real wealth for nations.

“Given its background and mandate it is surprising that it
scrapped its first meeting on ‘open and collaborative’ projects
such as ‘open source software.’ After all open source software
does, indeed rely on intellectual property rights. It cannot exist
without them. It is, therefore, bemusing that the US Director of
International Relations for the US Patent and Trademark Office
apparently opposed such a meeting, claiming that such a meeting
would run against the mission of WIPO to promote intellectual
property rights. At least one of the major US software companies,
probably beginning with the letter ‘M,’ is reported to have lobbied
against the holding of such a meeting…”

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