Big Content condemns foreign governments that endorse FOSS

“In accordance with US trade law, the Office of the US Trade
Representative (USTR) is required to conduct an annual review of
the status of foreign intellectual property laws. This review,
which is referred to as Special 301, is typically used to denounce
countries that have less restrictive copyright policies than the
United States.

“The review process is increasingly dominated by content
industry lobbyists who want to subvert US trade policy and make it
more favorable to their own interests. We have already noted the
targeting of Canada for its supposedly lax copyright laws, but that
is not the only nation drawing the ire of Big Content. One of the
organizations that plays a key role in influencing the Special 301
review is the International Intellectual Property Alliance (IIPA),
a powerful coalition that includes the RIAA, the MPAA, and the
Business Software Alliance (BSA). The IIPA, which recently
published its official recommendations to the USTR for the 2010
edition of the 301 review, has managed to achieve a whole new level
of absurdity.

“University of Edinburgh law lecturer Andres Guadamuz wrote a
blog entry this week highlighting some particularly troubling
aspects of the IIPA’s 301 recommendations. The organization has
condemned Indonesia and several other countries for encouraging
government adoption of open source software. According to the IIPA,
official government endorsements of open source software create
“trade barriers” and restrict “equitable market access” for
software companies.”

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