Wednesday: NAS Conference on WIPO "Webcasting Treaty"

Please take note.  If you are in DC or can be, please go and
speak to the proponents of this treaty.  This treaty would
eliminate the principle of net neutrality by international
treaty, and establish the legal basis for pervasive content
control throuh a new right of "fixation" for broadcasters.


Seth

 
Public Symposium on the Proposed WIPO "Webcasting Treaty"
The National Academies, Main Auditorium
2100 C Street NW
Washington, DC
February 22, 2006, 1:15 to 5:00 p.m. 


On the afternoon of Wednesday, February 22, the National
Academies will hold a public symposium on the application of the
World Intellectual Property Organization's (WIPO) proposed
"Treaty on the Protection of Broadcasting Organizations" to
webcasts on the Internet. The National Academies have a
significant stake in the debate concerning this proposed treaty,
both as frequent producers and users of webcasts and as an
institution representative of the broader scientific, technical,
and medical research community that produces and uses webcasts.
The purpose of this symposium, therefore, is to convene a public
forum for both the proponents and opponents of the proposed
treaty to present their arguments and to provide an opportunity
for public discussion of these issues. The results of the
discussions also will help inform the National Academies about
the merits of this proposed treaty and to develop any public
position with respect to it. 

The symposium will include presentations by a representative of
the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and of several organizations
that favor and oppose the treaty. Senate staff members also have
been invited to express their views. A general discussion is
scheduled among all the speakers, as well as with the audience
following the presentations. The symposium will be chaired by Wm.
A. Wulf, president, National Academy of Engineering. A
preliminary agenda and other information is available at:
http://www7.nationalacademies.org/biso/Webcasting_Treaty_Symposium.html.

Attendance by the public is free and open and no advance
registration is necessary. However, a valid photo ID is required
for entry into the building.

The event also will be webcast. You may participate in the
symposium by listening to the live audio webcast and submitting
questions using an e-mail form at http://national-academies.org.
The webcast requires RealPlayer software, available free at
http://www.real.com/player. For more information on setup and
hardware requirements, see the Real.com Web site.

For further information please contact: Paul F. Uhlir, J.D.,
director of International Scientific and Technical Information
Programs, the National Academies. He may be reached by email at
[email protected], or by phone at (202) 334 2807.