The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Would Like To Know What You Think Of Them (Sorta)

from the but-mainly-if-you-think-ip-is-awesome dept

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has a pretty long history of basically being the leading supporter of ever stricter and more ridiculous copyright (and patent and trademark laws). To be fair, in recent years, WIPO has actually been somewhat more open to at least hearing from folks actually representing the public, who have pointed out that stronger IP laws often do much more harm than good for wider society. But, on the whole, the group is still very much representing the interests of copyright, patent and trademark holders, rather than the general public. It's why the group gets called out for crazy ideas like making service providers into IP cops and suggesting that things would have been better if the web had been patented.

Either way, it appears that WIPO has hired a company to reach out to get "Stakeholder Perceptions of WIPO." It's pretty rare that WIPO actually hears from the public that its efforts and agreements really impact, so here's a chance to make sure WIPO knows what you think of its efforts to expand IP law over the years... Have at it, and let them know your thoughts.

Unfortunately, many of the questions are kind of ridiculous in the "and when did you stop beating your wife" variety. For example, at one point they ask you to "rank" how important specific WIPO priorities are -- and looking down the list, I though pretty much all of them should not be priorities, because all of them focused on expanding IP, rather than looking at more effective IP, or even exploring where IP might hurt the public. There are a few other questions like that as well, where I wanted to challenge the nature of the question itself, but was forced to choose the "least bad" or "least incorrect" answer instead. Still, there were a few opportunities to make it clear to WIPO that you'd prefer the organization not just be a representative to expand IP at all costs, but one that should pay attention to what actually helps society the most -- even if that means cutting back on some IP rules -- something that seems to be completely foreign to WIPO's world view so far.

It's really unfortunate that WIPO would stack the questions so badly such that the only thing you can really say for most of them is just how awesome IP is and how much better it would be if IP expanded. But hopefully some of you will figure out ways to make it clear to WIPO that perhaps it should be focusing on making sure the public benefits, not just how to expand IP.
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Filed Under: intellectual property, survey, wipo


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  • identicon
    John Doe, 7 Feb 2012 @ 5:10am

    He who asks the questions decides everything

    He who answers the questions decides nothing, he how asks the questions decides everything.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Capitalist Lion Tamer (profile), 7 Feb 2012 @ 5:22am

    Maybe someone can Greasemonkey up a "Stop. Just... stop." button that overrides the survey's loaded questions. Maybe it could simply offer to send WIPO this cake.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 7 Feb 2012 @ 5:33am

    tried my best to answer the questions

    where i could i entered: Orientated to restricting the advancement of science and the arts

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Designerfx (profile), 7 Feb 2012 @ 5:49am

      Re: tried my best to answer the questions

      I liked the part about "how do you feel about their leadership"

      where I could basically put "you are a case study for preventing international business growth"

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    milrtime83 (profile), 7 Feb 2012 @ 5:44am

    There's plenty of open ended questions or questions with "other" as an option that you can fill in an answer. Only the 1 ranking question was loaded.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    saulgoode (profile), 7 Feb 2012 @ 5:49am

    That was painful

    ... yet I figured it was best to take the survey lest their "tell us how great we are" received 100% positive response.

    I answered a lot of the questions about the "importance of IP" with "I don't know". I know that IP is significant -- in the same way that cancer is significant -- but I do not know whether they would presume "importance" to equate with "desirable".

    About the only question which I was entirely happy with my answer was "Which organization has the greatest impact on IP?", to which I responded "Other: Motion Picture Artists Association".

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    DannyB (profile), 7 Feb 2012 @ 5:50am

    WIPO == a new brand of bathroom tissue?

    For over a decade now, every time I saw WIPO, I thought it sounded like a brand of bathroom tissue.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    CK20XX, 7 Feb 2012 @ 6:23am

    The survey actually has a lot of blanks you can use to get the bigger picture across. Some ideas:

    6. Who do you believe is the global leader in the protection and promotion of IP?

    - Other, please specify: Nobody

    10. Who do you believe is the global leader in the provision of IP-related products and services?

    - Other, please specify: Each is as bad as the other

    14. What is/are the primary news/media source(s) that you use to stay informed about IP issues?

    Please name the news/media source(s) in the space below (Max 300 characters)

    None, really.

    Copyright and IP protection are monopolies granted by society for the good thereof. Content providers culturally, economically and otherwise have selfishly abused this. Now Hollywood and IP Enforcement groups are the enemies of modern society. They are the real online pirates.

    24. In the past 6-12 months have you used the following WIPO communications tools? Please rate these tools.

    YouTube: Very Poor

    If you have responded “Poor” or “Very Poor” please comment: Aren't organizations like WIPO responsible for ruining YouTube in the first place? How can culture spread and diversify when people are bickering over who owns what? Heavy handed IP enforcement results in many potential customers being collateral damage, plus it misses the opportunity to use YouTube as free advertising. If you treat your customers with love and respect, you'll be fine, but if you treat them with disdain, they'll return the sentiment.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      nasch (profile), 7 Feb 2012 @ 7:45am

      Re:

      14. What is/are the primary news/media source(s) that you use to stay informed about IP issues?

      Please name the news/media source(s) in the space below (Max 300 characters)

      None, really.


      You just told them to disregard your views because you're uninformed. Why didn't you list Techdirt?

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        CK20XX, 7 Feb 2012 @ 9:55am

        Re: Re:

        ARGH, I knew I was overlooking something...

        The thing is though, I don't have a "primary" source I use to stay informed about IP issues. I skip around several different places, so it's more like I was being way too honest.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Overcast (profile), 7 Feb 2012 @ 6:57am

    Wouldn't this above 'survey' be stealing IP from this patent?


    http://www.google.com/patents/US20020147850

    " compiling said knowledge and information into data objects, said data objects defining logic trees that represent the cumulative knowledge and information regarding a plurality of situations that are expected to be encountered by said users;
    storing said data objects in a central database in a network; and
    providing electronic access to said database with a plurality of client devices, said client devices being adapted to store locally a copy of each of said data objects for offline utilization by said users with said client devices wherein changes to any of said data objects stored in said central database are automatically reflected in said local copies of said changed data objects through a synchronization process that occurs whenever said client device accesses services provided by said network."

    Aren't they supposed to 'protect IP' and not outright steal it for use on their own web site?

    Seriously now.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Overcast (profile), 7 Feb 2012 @ 7:03am

    Oh my bad, wrong link... here we go:

    United States Patent Application 20080288276
    Kind Code A1
    Harris; Richard D. November 20, 2008

    "A system for survey data acquisition and analysis, including: at least one central processing system, including a storage device, a processing device and a communication device; and at least one portable computing device, including: a display device configured to visually display content to a user, the content comprising at least one survey question; an input device for receiving survey data input by the user in response to the at least one survey question; a processing device for processing the survey data input by the user; and a communication device in communication with the communication device of the at least one central processing system for transmitting or receiving data. The processing device of the at least one central processing system processes survey data received from the at least one portable computing device. Further methods and processes for survey data acquisition and analysis are also disclosed. "

    So - in this case, isn't the WIPO in violation here?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    nasch (profile), 7 Feb 2012 @ 7:48am

    I actually thought WIPO was a trade group like the MPAA, and I though, what's the point of trying to convince those people? When I looked it up I found it's an arm of the UN doing this. Pretty sad, as they absolutely should be focused on the public good.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Pixelation, 7 Feb 2012 @ 8:25am

    I left a number of comments including...

    1)You need to study the damage that IP law causes and fix that first.

    2)IP law favors big business not the public. It serves the wrong master.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Chris, 7 Feb 2012 @ 8:39am

    Well set up

    You can take the survey as often as you like, so have at it and skew those stats.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    DanZee (profile), 7 Feb 2012 @ 9:32am

    Kicked me out

    I thought it was interesting that I checked the box that said I was only somewhat familiar with the WIPO, and this is what it told me:

    "The survey questions are of a very detailed and specific nature that requires a strong familiarity with WIPO and its operations.

    "In the interest of your time the survey will terminate here."

    I guess only experts need apply.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Suja (profile), 7 Feb 2012 @ 11:47am

      Re: Kicked me out

      lol you can just lie and it will accept it, whoever made this crap doesn't have enough "strong familiarity" with the internet to even be making a survey

      link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Cowardly Anonymous, 7 Feb 2012 @ 4:25pm

      Re: Kicked me out

      You can just search your cookies for zoom and delete all the ones that come up. It will let you back in.

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    Yartrebo (profile), 7 Feb 2012 @ 10:51am

    The Survey is Terrible

    I tried taking the survey. The first time it didn't let me finish, because I said I had no experience with WIPO (which is true, as it's not like they invite just anybody to their meetings).

    So I went back and lied to continue the survey. Here's some of the gems of self-serving and push-poll questions:

    - How do you assess the importance of IP in the following areas: (Economic development, Business growth, Providing solutions to major global challenges (such as poverty, hunger, public health and climate change), Encouraging creativity, Protection of innovation, Technological advancement).
    While it's technically correct that copyright is important with respect to encouraging creativity, that's only because 'important' technically just means it has a large effect, for good or bad, but the English used certainly doesn't imply that.

    - Who do you believe is the global leader in the protection and promotion of IP?
    Obvious ego-inflating blather.

    - How important are Intellectual Property (IP) issues to my organization in 2012?
    It's implicit that only corporations have valid opinions with respect to copyrights, trademarks, patents, and trade secrets. Individuals are nobodies.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    isaac Kotlicky (profile), 7 Feb 2012 @ 11:59am

    As Stephen Colbert would say:
    "So, Mr. Masnick...
    Lawsuits over Intellectual Property, censoring free speech and stifling technology: Good idea? or the Best Idea?

    I don't have that one, so I'm just gonna put you down for Good..."

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • icon
    jem40000 (profile), 9 Feb 2012 @ 5:32pm

    Also 'somewhat familiar' with WIPO

    My Twitter statement following the last SCCR session (SCCR23):

    #SCCR24 This is WIPO - One of the big problems in diplomacy is you cannot say "The proposal by the esteemed delegate from XYZ really sucks."

    link to this | view in chronology ]


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