Donna’s got the scoop on the US’ embedding DMCA provisions in international trade agreements. She then asks, “What would it take to engage readers, both in the US and abroad, in… a “broader discussion” [about copyright]? Further, how might we get that discussion before the eyes of policymakers worldwide?”
For starters, support IP Justice. (As far as I know) It’s one of the first of its kind. I’ve made my donation – you should, too.
Second, help people understand the DMCA, drawing on our own experiences. We can help them by chronicling both our successful and failed attempts to fight back. Hopefully, people worldwide can learn from us, and we can learn from them. Many European countries are adopting DMCA-like laws, and European civil liberties groups are currently struggling with the same issues we are.
Third, recognize possible limitations of a broader discussion. Many countries do not share the US’ (original) philosophical copyright precepts. That is, though the Constitution’s plain language meaning has been undermined, we still only have a limited sense of “droit moral.” Rather than address these more fundamental differences at first, perhaps it would be better to focus on common ground and imminent public policy issues (ie, these trade agreements and the EU Copyright Directive.)
Fourth, keep reading and writing. Particularly, read people like Karl Friedrich Lenz and beSpecific. They always have good international info. (I have a pretty poor understanding of the international scene – if you know of some good resources, please tell me and I’ll post them here).
Fifth, understand that it’s going to be most effective to act locally. The discussion can be broadened – we can all blog and discuss strategy. But we’re going to have the most immediate impact locally. We have enough trouble being effective at the state level, so we shouldn’t spread ourselves too thin.
Filed by Derek Slater at 3:45 pm under General news