A new treaty that would give broadcasters' greater powers over how consumers
view or access programmes has been called a 'protection racket' by a consumer
rights group.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF),
which campaigns on digital rights issues, said giving broadcasters these powers
is unnecessary and would hand them unfair power over what people do in their
homes: such as preventing users of personal video recorders (PVRs) skipping
advertising in programmes.
The Treaty in question, The Protection of Broadcasting Organisations, is
being considered by the
World Intellectual Property
Organisation (WIPO), the agency of the United Nations dedicated to
protecting copyright.
The broadcasters essentially want broader powers that will cover technologies
such as the internet and devices such as media devices or players that allow the
unauthorised copying or re-transmission of programs.
They said existing regulation was laid down before the advent of these
technologies
The broadcasters have asked for the power to prosecute offenders for a breach
of copyright, particularly in some parts of the world, where currently they have
little protection.
However,
the EEF said
the treaty amounted to a "protection racket for middlemen in the TV
and internet worlds".
An
unlikely alliance of technology companies, PC manufacturers and digital rights
activists , led by the EFF, is now lining up to oppose the treaty.
WIPO will be
conducting
meetings in 2007 to decide on the provisions to be contained in the treaty.
A spokeswoman for WIPO told Computeractive that it could take several years
after it is agreed for it to come into force, as it will need to first be
ratified by a certain number of national governments, before becoming binding.
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