The Quiet War Over Open-Source
Jonathan Krim,
Washington Post,
Aug 21, 2003
In a quiet behind-the-scenes battle, U.S. government officials - prodded by Microsoft - squelched a proposed World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) meeting on open source. There is already a wide perception that these international bodies respond like puppies to the corporate sector, and WIPO's acquiescence on this issue doesn't improve that image. WIPO should reconsider: the issues surrounding open source are central to any discussion of copyright, and center around the right of individuals to determine the fate of their own creations. If some people - such as myself - wish the right to not subject their work to the crassness of the commercial market, doesn't the principle of copyright say that such wishes should prevail? If some consumer prefers to obtain works from this domain of royalty-free creations, should they not have the opportunity? If not, then the entire concept of copyright is a sham, and should be exposed as such. But if my rights as a producer of (what I would like to be) open and royalty-free content are to be protected, them WIPO must consider the question of open source.
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