North American Broadcasters Association knifes NPR and PBS at the United Nations anti-podcasting treaty negotiation
The North American Broadcasters’ Association has broken its own by-laws and trampled the position of NPR and PBS, endorsing a controversial policy at the United Nations.
This week, the UN’s World Intellectual Property Organization is holding a critical debate on the “Broadcast Treaty.” This treaty would establish a new copyright-like right, but whereas copyright goes to people who make creative works, Broadcast Rights go to companies that broadcast other people’s copyrighted works. The Broadcast Right isn’t subject to the same fair use limits as copyright, which means that even if copyright lets you record a broadcast for criticism or parody, you will need to separately get an exemption under the Broadcast Right. More gravely, if means that if you license your work under Creative Commons, the people who distribute the files or air the program can overrule your generosity and insist that your fans not copy your work.
If you read on, the chairman of the WIPO committee is ignoring instructions too. Because so much gets done when everyone starts ignoring each other.