State Department Spending Millions To 'Train' Foreign Judges About 'Intellectual Property'

from the who-writes-the-curriculum dept

Mon, Dec 20th 2010 2:39am — Mike Masnick

The State Department has put out a press release announcing that it has approved spending $3.36 million next year to "train" foreign judges and other law enforcement officials about "intellectual property." There are 15 different projects, which all come down to various training programs for judges, police, law enforcement in how to kowtow to American industry in dealing with infringement of copyrights, trademarks and patents. Given the way our government seems to think that whatever the industry says is accurate -- no matter how many times it's been disproved -- you have to imagine that any "training" is going to be laughably one-sided. For example, I note that one of the projects is:

Latin American Online Piracy $142,944
Training for judges from Peru, Chile, Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay on combating digital/online copyright piracy crimes.

Except, last I checked, those countries had their own copyright laws, and didn't need to obey US specific laws. In the case of Brazil, for example, it's been contemplating new copyright laws that would be much more respectful of fair use and the public domain. Yet, given the way the State Department has acted in the past on these issues, why do I get the feeling that "fair use" isn't a part of the training campaign?

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Filed Under: intellectual property, judges, law enforcement, state department

28 Comments

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The eejit (profile), 20 Dec 2010 @ 2:33am

And here I thought it was an act of war to interfere with other countries' operations. Good to know it really isn't
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Anonymous Coward, 20 Dec 2010 @ 3:35am

Instead of thinking of those laws as "US laws", think of them as "industry laws". They're the ones wrote them, and the ones trying to enforce them.
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- gusto, 20 Dec 2010 @ 4:10am
  
  Re:
  The US is the prototyping-region and US tax dollars are the currency used for it. So, how's it not US laws?
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  - Anonymous Coward, 20 Dec 2010 @ 5:00am
    
    Re: Re:
    Nope, the prototyping is done in other countries then imported to the U.S.
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    - The Groove Tiger (profile), 20 Dec 2010 @ 6:24am
      
      Re: Re: Re:
      Kinda like artificial sweeteners in soda.
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Anonymous Coward, 20 Dec 2010 @ 3:47am

"The State Department has put out a press release announcing that it has approved spending $3.36 million next year to "train" foreign judges and other law enforcement officials about "intellectual property." "

The government needs to stop indirectly giving big corporations all this money.
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- Anonymous Coward, 20 Dec 2010 @ 4:16am
  
  Re:
  Yeah, they should cut out the middleman and give it to the industry directly.
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  - Berenerd (profile), 20 Dec 2010 @ 5:42am
    
    Re: Re:
    Atleast it might save some money, not having to pay carrying fees...
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abc gum, 20 Dec 2010 @ 4:28am

Sounds like a bribe.
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Darryl, 20 Dec 2010 @ 4:51am

Usual spin..
Ah right, you dont like this because you like to claim they are all clueless, and cannot keep up with technology.

So when someone addresses that issue, you have to complain as well, you would rather them be clueless I guess.

As you can see, most of that money is going to training of law enforcement groups, and prosecutors, but judges also have to know about the technology.. otherwise you or people like you will call them clueless.

So they are either clueless or kowtowing, I guess actually willing to work with international authorities, and with the US being a major producer of the material in question.

Much of the overseas legal issues, will be a result of breaking US law.. as you well know Mike..

So it kinda makes sense for this to occur, the only people or persons who do not think it is a good idea.

would appear to be you Mike..

Its funny, who you make it so they cannot win any way, or whatever they do..

If they try to learn, you call it 'training' and consider it demeaning for them.

If they do not have 'training' you call them idiots, who dont have a clue.

You just through so many moral, and ethical hoops to justify your desire to allow illegal file sharing, that you look like a trainee magician..

It shows how you can read something, (that we can all read) and from that achieve an entirely biased, and warped 'analysis' of that.. with liberal quantities of spin, deception..

But amazingly, you still get your usual crowd how will swallow everything you can give out.. without question.

@ abc gum...

yea,, a bribe to get what ? they are providing training and advice, not cash payments..

How many bribes have you heard of that involve training and advice ? and not cash payments ?

To me is sounds like exactly what it is. and nothing like Mikes spin on it..

And this is $3 million dollars, we are talking about here..

3 Mil over a year, yea, lets forget to $10 BILLION PER MONTH spent in the middle east !!!!.. dont worry about that.
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- Anonymous Coward, 20 Dec 2010 @ 5:02am
  
  Re: Usual spin..
  Bad kangaroo! Bad kangaroo!
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- Anonymous Coward, 20 Dec 2010 @ 5:19am
  
  Re: Usual spin..
  You're sick Darryl, please, for your own sake, seek help.
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- Rekrul, 20 Dec 2010 @ 5:22am
  
  Re: Usual spin..
  Ah right, you dont like this because you like to claim they are all clueless, and cannot keep up with technology.
  
  So when someone addresses that issue, you have to complain as well, you would rather them be clueless I guess.
  
  As you can see, most of that money is going to training of law enforcement groups, and prosecutors, but judges also have to know about the technology.. otherwise you or people like you will call them clueless.
  
  So they are either clueless or kowtowing, I guess actually willing to work with international authorities, and with the US being a major producer of the material in question.
  
  Where did either Mike's post or the linked original story say anything about teaching them technology?
  
  Much of the overseas legal issues, will be a result of breaking US law.. as you well know Mike..
  
  That's exactly the point, the entertainment industry wants every country on Earth to follow the US's copyright laws, to the point of completely re-writing their existing laws if they're not to the industry's liking. Look at how the US bullied Spain into enacting strict new copyright laws.
  
  So it kinda makes sense for this to occur, the only people or persons who do not think it is a good idea.
  
  would appear to be you Mike..
  
  You seem to be under the impression that these training programs will be completely impartial courses in understanding today's technology. Nothing could be further from the truth. These programs will be strictly about pushing the entertainment industry's agenda. No mention of fair use will be made. Nothing about how the industry mistakenly accuses tons of people. Instead it will be all about how they need to step up enforcement, how they need to press for high statutory damages, how they can convince a court that a hobbiest site is a criminal conspiracy, etc.
  
  How do I know this? Because that's what the entertainment industry is already pushing for in the US, and the US government has shown a great willingness to push other countries at the behest of the industry.
  
  yea,, a bribe to get what ? they are providing training and advice, not cash payments..
  
  No, they are training other countries to think and act like the US because the industry doesn't like the fact that there are still some places left that don't equate copyright infringement with the end of the world.
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- Berenerd (profile), 20 Dec 2010 @ 5:48am
  
  Re: Usual spin..
  Tell me why our tax dollars should be paying to teach other countries how US law works? Answer that.
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- The eejit (profile), 20 Dec 2010 @ 9:01am
  
  Re: Usual spin..
  No, the main issue is that, in any other area, under the Geneva Convention, this is considered an ACT OF WAR.
  
  Directly interfering in another sovereign nation's jurisdiction without prior notice is an act of war.
  
  Moreover, with a guesstimated deficit in thetrillions of dollars for the US Government, I think they have more important things to do, don't you?
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- abc gum, 20 Dec 2010 @ 6:12pm
  
  Re: Usual spin..
  "they are providing training and advice, not cash payments."
  
  fyi: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/bribe
  
  The word "bribe" does not necessarily imply that money is involved, but you knew that. Your willingness to look the other way and deny the facts has become rather predictable. I'm not sure why you go so far out of your way in your feeble attempts at defending what is clearly questionable behavior, but it could be because you receive some sort of compensation. Whether it is in the form of money, free kangaroo kabobs or just lulz I do not care - but your routine is getting a bit stale, perhaps you could spice it up a bit.
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- Bigomar, 21 Dec 2010 @ 1:37am
  
  Re: Usual spin..
  You really are a troll, how can anyone justify the US government meddling in other Countries affairs. The US is run by the big corporations for the big corporations not the man in the street
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- Bigomar, 21 Dec 2010 @ 1:40am
  
  Re: Usual spin..
  You really are a troll, how can anyone justify the US government meddling in other Countries affairs. The US is run by the big corporations for the big corporations not the man in the street
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Designerfx (profile), 20 Dec 2010 @ 5:10am

wow
this isnt' even about legality. this is 100% political and doesn't fit in the judicial world at all, nor should it.

wow. this is unbelievable.
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NattyFido (profile), 20 Dec 2010 @ 5:11am

Team America 2
Because, of course, the US government knows best!
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harbingerofdoom (profile), 20 Dec 2010 @ 5:50am

hrm... i thought judges gave rulings that fit within the context of their constitutions (or equivalency within their country).

was not aware that they were 'combatants' against any kind of specific activities.

silly me...
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doc, 20 Dec 2010 @ 6:08am

What is ridiculous is that in an economy where we don't have "spare" dollars, this seems to be a low priority. If the issue is with for patent protection, then the industries involved should pony up the bucks, looking at this a business decision. Do they feel they make enough off the protection to justify the expense of education. Why should we have to curtail education and health expenditures to help private industry?
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Steve R. (profile), 20 Dec 2010 @ 6:28am

Corporatism
The interests of the State and the Corporations are one and the same. There are actually many definitions for Corporatism.

This is also a case of beware of what you sow. When other countries develop "strong" so-called intellectual property rights they will be demanding that we pay-up.

Also what happens should we are no longer be the 800 pound guerrilla of so-called intellectual property? We, (the US) will be forced to pay the foreign corporations. We will have an even greater international deficit trade balance.

It may not be tomorrow, but "encouraging" other nations to have "strong" so-called intellectual property rights will eventually make us a third world nation.
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- Chronno S. Trigger (profile), 20 Dec 2010 @ 6:51am
  
  Re: Corporatism
  You'd think we would have realized that after China did that exact thing.
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- Anonymous Coward, 20 Dec 2010 @ 7:07am
  
  Re: Corporatism
  Just to enforce your point.
  
  There are 350 million Americans today in world with 7 billion people.
  
  Statistically other countries combined can produce several orders more IP content than the U.S. can and most of them will be frivolous if we adopt the U.S. way.
  
  Prosperity to America is not IP, is self sufficiency.
  
  - 21th Century Victory Gardens. Fridge size gardens that produce the minimum to someone to eat.
  - Every house producing their own energy.
  - Every house acting like a living organism and utilizing its own waste to produce something and filtering the environment.
  
  Do that and people will be free to work on what they like and create something new.
  
  I believe if people starting pooling their resources they can get a better quality of life for little money.
  
  We could start producing medicine for our hospitals, food and basic necessities so when the hard times comes it won't be so bad and believe me, hard times are coming if we continue to do the same things we are doing today.
  
  But that is not going to happen on an IP centric country.
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Anonymous Coward, 20 Dec 2010 @ 6:52am

The U.S. is apparently betting all or nothing on IP laws.

They will be sorry for that.
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Anonymous Coward, 20 Dec 2010 @ 8:13am

Re: Re: Usual spin..
That's exactly the point, the entertainment industry wants every country on Earth to follow the US's copyright laws, to the point of completely re-writing their existing laws if they're not to the industry's liking. Look at how the US bullied Spain into enacting strict new copyright laws.

This is why I said we should think of them as "industry laws". The US government isn't coming up with these laws, it's just the first government to fall under industry control.
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lhblotto, 21 Dec 2010 @ 6:58am

Nothing new
A couple years ago I was invited by the State Department to go to Manila to give a talk about IP at a big conference for judges, lawyers and governmental officials. I had plane tickets and a hotel reservation. I was disinvited about a week out, told that my "topic" had been "edited" from the program. Actually, I think they probably googled me and decided I wasn't the face of IP law they wanted to present.
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