I give my support for this declaration<br><br><br clear="all">SCHOMBE BAUDOUIN<br>COORDONNATEUR DU CENTRE AFRICAIN D'ECHANGE CULTUREL (CAFEC)<br>COORDONNATEUR NATIONAL REPRONTIC<br>MEMBRE FACILITATEUR GAID AFRIQUE<br>GNSO and NCUC MEMBER (ICANN)<br>
<br>Téléphone mobile: +243998983491/+243999334571<br> +243811980914<br>email: <a href="mailto:b.schombe@gmail.com">b.schombe@gmail.com</a><br>blog: <a href="http://akimambo.unblog.fr">http://akimambo.unblog.fr</a><br>
siège temporaire : Boulevard du 30 juin Immeuble Royal, Entrée A,7e niveau.<br>
<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">2010/6/20 SAMUELS,Carlton A <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:carlton.samuels@uwimona.edu.jm">carlton.samuels@uwimona.edu.jm</a>></span><br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
<div link="blue" vlink="purple" style="" lang="EN-US">
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);">Dear Robin:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);">Thanks for this. Knowing that this and related matters are
concerns in these groups, I have onward circulation to the Library Association
of Jamaica (LIAJA) and the ICT4D Jamaica Group.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);">Carlton Samuels</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);"> </span></p>
<div>
<div style="border-style: solid none none; border-color: rgb(181, 196, 223) -moz-use-text-color -moz-use-text-color; border-width: 1pt medium medium; padding: 3pt 0in 0in;">
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">From:</span></b><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> Robin Gross
[mailto:<a href="mailto:robin@ipjustice.org" target="_blank">robin@ipjustice.org</a>] <br>
<b>Sent:</b> Saturday, June 19, 2010 5:21 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> <a href="mailto:governance@lists.cpsr.org" target="_blank">governance@lists.cpsr.org</a><br>
<b>Subject:</b> [governance] Call for Support of International Civil Society
Declaration Against ACTA (Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement)</span></p>
</div>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal">Dear Friends,</p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal">As you are probably aware, the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade
Agreement (<a href="http://www.wcl.american.edu/pijip/go/acta04212010" target="_blank">ACTA</a>)
is a dangerous proposal to radically expand intellectual property rights at the
global level. The draft agreement has been negotiated in secret, without
inclusion of developing nation perspectives, and without any participation from
civil society or regard for the global public interest. ACTA specifically
targets the Internet and regulates the flow of information in a digital
environment. ACTA would create significant negative consequences for
fundamental freedoms, access to medicines, innovation, the balance of
public/private interests, access to knowledge and culture, to name a few of its
problems. ACTA represents a "wish list" from Hollywood and Big
Pharma which will be imposed unilaterally on developing countries through trade
pressure from the US, Europe and other wealthy states.</p>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal">Please consider signing on to the below (draft) <a href="http://wcl.american.edu/pijip/go/acta-communique" target="_blank">International Civil
Society Declaration</a>, which was the result of a <a href="http://www.wcl.american.edu/pijip/go/blog-post/meeting-to-bring-together-academics-and-advocates-to-discuss-public-interest-impacts-of-controversial-intellectual-property-treaty" target="_blank">meeting
in Washington, DC</a> this week of over 90 academics from 5 continents,
public interest organizations and other legal experts concerned with the public
interest aspects of ACTA. The meeting of international experts was hosted
by American University Washington College of Law Program on Information Justice
and Intellectual Property (<a href="http://www.wcl.american.edu/pijip/" target="_blank">PIJIP</a>).</p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal">Both organizations and individuals are welcome to sign-on to
the statement until <i>23 June 9am</i> (US East Coast time) by email
to < <b><a href="mailto:acta.declaration@gmail.com" target="_blank">acta.declaration@gmail.com</a></b> >.
</p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal">Further details for sign-on and proposing edits to the draft
declaration are below. Please take a moment and read the declaration and
consider signing-on and adding your support to raise awareness on ACTA.
And also please help to spread the word and gather additional civil
society support from your own networks and contacts by forwarding this email on
to others or reference to the website: <a href="http://www.wcl.american.edu/pijip/go/blog-post/urgent-acta-communique" target="_blank">http://www.wcl.american.edu/pijip/go/blog-post/urgent-acta-communique</a> for
details.</p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal">The next closed-door ACTA negotiations are scheduled for 28
June - 2 July 2010 in Lucerne, Switzerland, and the US promises a final
agreement will be concluded shortly thereafter. Time is of the essence to
act on ACTA.</p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal">Thank you for any support and assistance you can provide to
raise awareness on the public interest concerns with ACTA. It is only
through global grass-roots efforts and small individual actions made by many
people that we can fight to overcome this flawed treaty.</p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal">All best,</p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal">Robin Gross</p>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal">Begin forwarded message:</p>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br>
<br>
</p>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black;">From: </span></b><span style="font-size: 9pt;">"Sean Flynn" <<a href="mailto:sflynn@wcl.american.edu" target="_blank">sflynn@wcl.american.edu</a>></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black;">Date: </span></b><span style="font-size: 9pt;">June 19, 2010 10:30:38 AM PDT</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black;">To: </span></b><span style="font-size: 9pt;">"Robin
Gross" <<a href="mailto:robin@ipjustice.org" target="_blank">robin@ipjustice.org</a>></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black;">Subject: </span></b><b><span style="font-size: 9pt;">acta communique</span></b></p>
</div>
<div>
<p><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">The
DRAFT statement below reflects the conclusions reached at a meeting of over 90
academics, practitioners and public interest organizations from five continents
gathered at American University Washington College of Law, June 16-18, 2010.
The statement is now open to endorsements.</span><span style="color: black;"></span></p>
<h3><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black; font-weight: normal;">The latest version of the draft communiqué is
now posted to a public blog post at:</span><span style="color: black;"></span></h3>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;"><a href="http://wcl.american.edu/pijip/go/acta-communique" target="_blank">http://wcl.american.edu/pijip/go/acta-communique</a></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;"> </span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">Please share the draft with others, circulate on your blogs, etc.</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;"> </span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">THIS DRAFT STATEMENT IS NOW OPEN FOR INDIVIDUAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL
ENDORSEMENTS AS WELL AS EDITING COMMENTS.</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">•
Please send signatures to: <a href="mailto:acta.declaration@gmail.com" target="_blank">acta.declaration@gmail.com</a></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">•
Please send edits to: <a href="mailto:pijip@wcl.american.edu" target="_blank">pijip@wcl.american.edu</a></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;"> </span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">EDITING SUGGESTIONS</span></u><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;"></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">WILL BE ACCEPTED UNTIL NOON MONDAY JUNE 21. THE FINAL TEXT WITH
EDITS INCLUDED WILL BE RELEASED BY 5PM MONDAY JUNE 21. </span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;"> </span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">THE FINAL STATEMENT WILL BE RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC WITH
ENDORSEMENTS ON WEDNESDAY JUNE 23 AT 10AM. ENDORSEMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED UNTIL
JUNE 23 AT 9AM. </span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;"> </span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">ENDORSEMENTS:</span></u><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;"></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">WE WILL ACCEPT PROVISIONAL ENDORSEMENTS NOW. ENDORSERS WILL BE
GIVEN THE OPTION TO OPT-OUT WHEN THE FINAL TEXT IS CIRCULATED BY 5PM MONDAY
JUNE 21.</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;"> </span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">FOR INDIVIDUAL ENDORSEMENTS,</span></u><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;"> SEND YOUR NAME, TITLE
AND ORGANIZATION AND PLACE (CITY, COUNTRY) OF OCCUPATION to <a href="mailto:acta.declaration@gmail.com" target="_blank">acta.declaration@gmail.com</a></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;"> </span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">FOR ORGANIZATIONAL ENDORSEMENTS</span></u><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">, ENTER THE NAME OF THE
ORGANIZATION AND PLACE(S) (CITY(IES), COUNTRY(IES)) IN WHICH THE
ORGANIZATION HAS OFFICES to <a href="mailto:acta.declaration@gmail.com" target="_blank">acta.declaration@gmail.com</a>.</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;"> </span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">INDIVIDUALS WITHIN SIGNATORY ORGANIZATIONS MAY ENDORSE AS
INDIVIDUALS AS WELL AS BEING PART OF THE ORGANIZATIONAL ENDORSEMENT.</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;"> </span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">PLEASE CIRCULATE WIDELY.</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;"> </span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;"> </span></p>
</div>
<h3><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">DRAFT Urgent Communique: Consultation of International Experts on
ACTA and the Public Interest</span><span style="color: black;"></span></h3>
<p><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">Release
Date: June 23, 2010</span><span style="color: black;"></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">American
University Washington College of Law</span><span style="color: black;"></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">Washington,
D.C.</span><span style="color: black;"></span></p>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;"><a href="http://wcl.american.edu/pijip/go/acta-communique" target="_blank">http://wcl.american.edu/pijip/go/acta-communique</a></span></p>
</div>
<h4><a name="12955800c03970e4_TOC-International-Experts-Find-that-Pen"></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">International Experts
Find that Pending Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement Threatens Public
Interests </span><span style="color: black;"></span></h4>
<p><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">We
find that the terms of the agreement threaten numerous public interests,
including nearly every concern specifically disclaimed by the negotiators in
their announcement.</span><span style="color: black;"></span></p>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">The proposed agreement is a deeply flawed product of a deeply
flawed process. <br>
<br>
What started as a proposal to coordinate customs enforcement offices has
morphed into a massive new international intellectual property (IP) and
internet regulation with grave consequences for the global economy and
governments' ability to promote and protect public interests. <br>
<br>
Any agreement of this scope and consequence must be based on a broad and
consultative process and reflect a full range of public interest concerns. As
detailed below, this text fails to meet these standards.<br>
<br>
Recognizing that the terms of the agreement are under negotiation, a fair
reading of the proposed text as a whole leads to our conclusions that ACTA:<br>
<br>
THE INTERNET<br>
-Encourages internet service providers to police users of the internet without
adequate court oversight or due process;<br>
<br>
-Globalizes 'anti-circumvention' provisions which threaten innovation,
competition, open source business models, interoperability, copyright
exceptions, and user choice; <br>
<br>
FREE TRADE AND ACCESS TO MEDICINES<br>
-Disrupts the free trade in legitimate generic medicines and other goods, and
sacrifices the foundational principle that IP rights are territorial, by
requiring customs authorities to seize goods in transit countries even when
they do not violate any law of the producing and importing countries;<br>
<br>
-Does little or nothing to address the problem of medicines with insufficient
or wrong ingredients as the majority of these are not IP but regulatory system
problems.</span></p>
</div>
<p><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">-Extends
the powers of custom officials to search and seize a wide range of goods,
including computers and other electronic devices, without adequate safeguards
against unwarranted confiscations and privacy invasions;</span><span style="color: black;"></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">-Extends
'ex officio' border search and seizures from willful, commercial scale
trademark counterfeiting to a broad range of intellectual property
infringements, including “confusingly similar” trademark violations, copyright
infringement standards that require interpretation of "fair use" or
similar user rights, and even to patent cases which frequently involve complex
questions of law and fact that are difficult to adjudicate even by specialist
courts after full adjudicative processes;</span><span style="color: black;"></span></p>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS<br>
-Will curtail full enjoyment of fundamental rights and liberties, including
rights to privacy and the protection of personal data, health, access to
information, free expression, due process and presumptions of innocence,
cultural participation, and other internationally protected human rights; <br>
<br>
SCOPE AND NATURE OF IP LAW<br>
Distorts the balance fundamental to IP law between the rights and interests of
proprietors and users, including by</span></p>
</div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">introducing
very specific rights and remedies for rights holders without correlative
requirements to provide exceptions, limitations, and due process
safeguards for users;</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">shifting
enforcement from private civil mechanisms to public authorities and third
parties, including to customs officials, criminal prosecutors and internet
service providers -- in ways that are likely to be more sensitive to
proprietary concerns and less sensitive to user concerns;</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">omitting
liability and disincentives for abuses of enforcement processes by right
holders; and</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">requiring the
adoption of automatic damages assessments unrelated to any proven harm; </span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">-Alters the traditional and constitutionally mandated law making
processes for IP by:</span></p>
</div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">locking in and
exporting controversial aspects of US and EU enforcement practices whcih
have already proven problematic, foreclosing future legislative
improvements in response to changes in technology or policy;</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">requiring
substantive changes to intellectual property laws of a large number of
negotiating countries.</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT<br>
-Will disproportionately harm development and social welfare of the poor,
particularly in developing countries, including through raising unjustifiable
trade barriers to imports and exports of needed medicines and other knowledge
embedded goods;<br>
<br>
-Contains provisions inconsistent with the WTO Agreement on Trade Related
Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS Agreement); <br>
<br>
-Conflicts with the World Trade Organization Doha Declaration on TRIPS and
Public Health and World Health Assembly Resolution 61.21 by limiting the
ability of countries to exercise to the full flexibilities in the TRIPS
agreement that can promote access to needed medicines; <br>
<br>
-Circumvents and undermines the commitments agreed to under the World
Intellectual Property Organization development agenda, particularly
recommendation 45 committing to “approach intellectual property enforcement in
the context of broader societal interests and especially development-oriented
concerns," and "in accordance with Article 7 of the TRIPS
Agreement"; <br>
<br>
INSTITUTIONAL ISSUES<br>
-Creates a new and redundant international administration for IP issues outside
of WIPO or the WTO with broad powers but limited transparency, threatening
multilateralism in international IP norm setting;<br>
<br>
-Encourages technical assistance, public awareness campaigns, and partnerships
with the private sector that appear designed to promote only the interests of
IP owners; <br>
<br>
CONCLUSIONS ABOUT THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS</span></p>
</div>
<p><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">The
current process for considering public input into ACTA is fundamentally flawed
in numerous respects. In many countries, the only consultations taking place
are with select members of the public, off-the-record and without benefit of
sharing the latest version of the rapidly changing text. There is little
possibility that a fair and balanced agreement that protects and promotes
public interests can evolve from such a distorted policy making process.</span><span style="color: black;"></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">Governments,
right holders and civil society should have an open and evidence-based
discussion on the right strategy to confront willful commercial scale trademark
counterfeiting and commercial scale copyright piracy. This discussion should
take place in multilateral and national open and on-the-record forums with
access to current negotiating text so that all interested stakeholders can
participate.</span><span style="color: black;"></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">ENDORSEMENTS</span><span style="color: black;"></span></p>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Please send
signatures (individual or Organization, City, Country) to: <a href="mailto:acta.declaration@gmail.com" target="_blank">acta.declaration@gmail.com</a></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Please send
edits to: <a href="mailto:pijip@wcl.american.edu" target="_blank">pijip@wcl.american.edu</a></span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;"> </span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;"> </span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">Sean Flynn</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">Associate Director</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">Program on Information Justice and Intellectual Property</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">American University Washington College of Law</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">202 274 4157</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;"><a href="http://www.pijip.org" target="_blank">www.pijip.org</a></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;"> </span></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black;"> </span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black;"> </span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black;">IP JUSTICE</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black;">Robin Gross, Executive Director</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black;">1192 Haight Street, San Francisco, CA 94117 USA</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black;">p: +1-415-553-6261 f: +1-415-462-6451</span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black;">w: <a href="http://www.ipjustice.org" target="_blank">http://www.ipjustice.org</a>
e: <a href="mailto:robin@ipjustice.org" target="_blank">robin@ipjustice.org</a></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black;"> </span></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 9pt; color: black;"><br>
<br>
</span></p>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
</div>
</div>
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