Re: Summary: [Fsfe-uk] TV show about copyright, the Internet and DRM

[graham]

MJ Ray wrote:

>Jason Clifford <address@hidden>
>  
>
>>On Fri, 5 May 2006, MJ Ray wrote:
>>    
>>
>>>coverage, even in the tabloid newspapers, technological protection
>>>measures (TPM, or MTP in French) seems to be used a lot. [...]
>>>      
>>>
>>Why continue to us the word "protection". By doing so you are granting the 
>>central plank of their case to those who want more restrictive copyright 
>>powers.
>>    
>>
>
>I don't see protectionism as a good thing and I doubt many do.
>Surely no WIPO-fearing government can support protectionist laws?
>So, I'm quite happy to label these bad things as protection.
>
>  
>
I think this is a mistake. 'Protectionism' is another weasel word used
by our opponents for actions they don't like. So the Philippines
government's and others attempts to claim the right to  produce generic
medicines in order to make medicine affordable for their own population
is being labelled 'disguised protectionism'; the same has also been said
about the Brazilian governments move to free software within the public
sector.  I think the word 'protectionism' is as unusable as the phrase
'intellectual property', unless accompanied by quite a bit of
explanation as to what you mean in each case. Personally, when I see the
word used to criticise something my knee-jerk reaction is one of
sympathy for the organisation being accused of it.

 I also don't think it's right that any government should have to be
'WIPO fearing' (as opposed to having to carry out the wishes of its
electors, or doing what it thinks is best for its electors), but that's
a slightly separate argument.


Cheers
Graham