#World Intellectual property organization

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

Brazil helps approve treaty on indigenous rights in patent systems

At a conference chaired by Brazil, the 193 member states of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), part of the United Nations system, approved on May 24, by consensus, its Treaty on Intellectual Property, Genetic Resources, and Associated Traditional Knowledge.

Once it enters into force with 15 contracting parties, the new regulation will require patent applicants to disclose the origin of genetic resources and traditional knowledge used in their inventions — medicines, cosmetics, and seeds, for example — to combat biopiracy.

This is the first WIPO treaty to include specific provisions about indigenous peoples and local communities. For decades, they have claimed participation in the profits of large companies that develop products based on local knowledge and customs.

Although genetic resources in their natural state, such as medicinal plants or animal breeds, cannot be directly protected as intellectual property, inventions developed using these resources meet the requirements for obtaining protection, generally through patents.

Continue reading.

[eeitonline]

Protecting Intellectual Property: The Challenge of Weak Laws in Eastern Europe

by Eastern European Institute for Trade

The Eastern European landscape has experienced a surge in creativity and innovation over the years. However, a weak legal framework around intellectual property (IP) protection remains a significant impediment to sustainable growth. This article delves into the challenges faced by the region in enforcing robust IP protection and offers insights into potential solutions.

The lack of well-developed IP legislation in Eastern European countries has led to a rise in counterfeiting, piracy, and patent infringement (Wilkof, 2017). Consequently, this dampens innovation and discourages foreign investment in the region. For example, Bulgaria and Romania have been listed on the Special 301 Report’s Watch List, a United States government initiative that identifies countries with inadequate IP protection (USTR, 2021).

One reason behind the weak IP laws in Eastern Europe is the slow adoption of international legal standards. Despite being signatories to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), many countries in the region have not yet fully implemented the requirements of these agreements (Egizio, 2019). This has resulted in a legal framework that lacks harmonization and enforcement mechanisms.

The lack of specialized IP courts and judges also contributes to the weak IP protection in Eastern Europe (Knaak, 2020). Inadequate training of law enforcement and customs officials leads to insufficient enforcement efforts, further aggravating the issue. As a result, many IP rights holders face difficulties in obtaining effective and timely remedies in cases of infringement.

To address these challenges, it is crucial for Eastern European countries to prioritize the development and implementation of strong IP legislation. This includes the harmonization of laws in line with international standards and the creation of specialized courts and institutions that focus on IP rights enforcement. Furthermore, investment in capacity building for law enforcement, customs officials, and judges is essential to ensure effective enforcement (Matulionyte & Vaver, 2021).

Public awareness campaigns are another essential tool in fostering a culture of IP protection. By raising awareness of the importance of IP rights among businesses and the public, Eastern European countries can encourage greater respect for IP and foster an environment conducive to innovation and economic growth (WIPO, 2018).

In conclusion, the protection of intellectual property rights in Eastern Europe is an ongoing challenge that requires concerted effort from governments, businesses, and international organizations. By prioritizing the development and enforcement of strong IP laws, investing in capacity building, and raising public awareness, Eastern European countries can overcome the current limitations and unlock their full potential for innovation and economic growth.

References:

Egizio, R. (2019). Intellectual Property Rights in Eastern Europe. Journal of Intellectual Property Law & Practice, 14(5), 360–367.

Knaak, R. (2020). Eastern European Intellectual Property Law: A Regional Perspective. European Intellectual Property Review, 42(5), 275–282.

Matulionyte, R., & Vaver, V. (2021). Capacity Building for Intellectual Property Law Enforcement in Eastern Europe. Journal of World Intellectual Property, 24(1–2), 63–80.

Wilkof, N. (2017). Intellectual Property Challenges in Eastern Europe. Intellectual Property Quarterly, (2), 111–127.

WIPO. (2018). Raising Intellectual Property Awareness: Strategies and Best Practices. WIPO Magazine. Sourced from https://www.wipo.int/wipo_magazine/en/2018/06/article_0004.html

USTR. (2021). 2021 Special 301 Report. Office of the United States Trade Representative. Sourced from https://ustr.gov/sites/default/files/files/reports/2021/2021%20Special%20301%20Report%20(F

Read more at Eastern European Institute for Trade.

[thelofian]

Dynamic Daily Booster Table (TTCC DBT) for 2024-04-26, Gag Farming Friday, 🍽️ Stop Food Waste Day | © World Intellectual Property Day | 🌲 National Arbor Day | 🗂️ Get Organized Day

[indigenouspeopleday]

Statement by Director General of the World Intellectual Property (WIPO, Mr Daren Tang.

It is with deep appreciation and respect that the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) joins today in celebrating the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. This year’s theme is - “Indigenous Youth as Agents of Change for Self-determination”. Indigenous youth play a vital role in preserving and transmitting the living identity and cultural heritage of their communities. At the same time, by drawing on new ideas and perspectives, Indigenous youth bring a fresh outlook to their communities’ practices and activities, finding new ways of bringing their unique heritage to the world. WIPO supports Indigenous Peoples to make strategic and effective use of intellectual property in support of their community and tradition-based businesses. This includes through our Training, Mentoring and Matchmaking Program for Indigenous women entrepreneurs (the WEP). The involvement of young Indigenous women in the WEP is significant: more than 20 percent of beneficiaries were under 30 years old at the time of selection. This includes Wakangay Santi, a 19-year-old woman from the Indigenous Community Kichshuar Amazanga in Ecuador. Wakangay’s experience of being part of a community enterprise, as well as the practical intellectual property skills that she honed through one of the regional editions of the WEP, is an inspiring example of how by supporting our youth to succeed, we support entire communities to succeed as well. We also reach out directly to Indigenous young people, including through the WIPO Photography Prize for Indigenous Peoples and Local Community Youth. Last year’s competition attracted more than 250 submissions and raised awareness among young participants on how copyright can protect their creativity. We also organized exhibitions of the 30 shortlisted works, as well as a bespoke training program on photography and copyright. I am pleased to report that this year’s edition, themed How We Wear Our Culture is How we Tell Our Stories, received close to 300 entries, with our final shortlist to be announced in the autumn. As part of our Covid-19 response package, at last month’s WIPO Assemblies, we launched “Uchi CreActive” a new intellectual property-related project with the Government of Peru that will support children from the Awajun Community in Urakua, Peru

As well as supporting Indigenous youth through bespoke and impact-driven projects at the national level, the results of WIPO’s normative work through the Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore (the IGC) promise to deliver better outcomes for Indigenous Peoples across the generations and around the world. We welcome the decision of Member States to renew the IGC’s mandate for the coming biennium, as well as the landmark decision reached last year to convene a Diplomatic Conference on intellectual property, genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge. A successful outcome at the Diplomatic Conference supported by all Member States will not only demonstrate the power of multilateralism, but also show that the global IP framework is capable of evolving to be more inclusive. We are working hard to support all Member States on the preparatory work ahead of the Diplomatic Conference next year. Given the nature of this work, it is important for Indigenous Peoples to participate widely and effectively in these discussions, as well as in the work of the IGC. To help make this a reality, we have created the WIPO Voluntary Fund, which recently attracted further contributions from Germany, Australia, and Mexico. We warmly welcome these donations and encourage others to follow suit. On this International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, we are proud to reaffirm our commitment to building a balanced and effective intellectual property ecosystem that works for everyone, everywhere. WIPO’s work in support of Indigenous Peoples is an integral part of this mission and we will continue to provide platforms where Indigenous youth can highlight their ideas and the wisdom of their communities in a strategic and respectful manner.

Daren Tang, Director General World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)

[makingcontact]

Survival for All: Securing Vaccines for the Global South

July 14, 2021 – Mass vaccination tent at Treichville Stadium, Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire. The World Bank Group provided technical and financial support to vaccination campaign. Note: these vaccines were not directly World Bank Group funded. Photo: Erick KAglan / World Bank At the beginning of the pandemic we reported on the extremely unequal rollout of vaccines to low income countries. They were…

[worldipday]

Women and IP: Accelerating Innovation and Creativity.

Women in all regions are shaping the world through their imagination, ingenuity and hard work, but often face significant challenges in accessing the knowledge, skills, resources and support they need to thrive.

The World Intellectual Property Day 2023 Gallery features women from around the world who are forging new horizons with their groundbreaking ideas. Voices supporting women.

[read-marx-and-lenin]

I'm not "kill all ai" type of person but are you implying that the technocrats wet dream is actually about the destruction of ownership and a path towards communism?

Anti-AI arguments boil down to either idealist nonsense (AI art has no soul!) or arguments that can be made against literally any technology under capitalism (it uses electricity! It needs water for cooling! The industry exploits the developing world!)

AI art is not going to bring us closer to communism any more than any other technology. That said, the progress of technology furthers the material conditions that form the basis of communism. Communism is not possible without a developed industrial base. It is important to look at technology not only at how it is being used now but also how it could be developed and better used in the future. Otherwise, we end up as Luddites or anarcho-primitivists. The present state of things is not the only possible state of things.

It is likely that, were generative AI better developed and refined, it could be a great aid in the creation of works that would otherwise require entire teams of people working manually. Manual labor is not a virtue. It is merely a necessity, and reducing labor requirements only threatens the financial security of workers under capitalism.

Right now, any workers facing unemployment or overwork due to automation via AI or other means should absolutely organize together and demand protections. But the culture war demonization of AI as some unique evil that threatens the sanctity and purity of art is reactionary and idealist, especially when it is bound up in intellectual property apologetics. If we don't have the correct view of AI, then we risk taking incorrect steps to combat any threats resulting from it.

The strengthening of copyright law, for example, is very much an incorrect step that would only serve capital at the expense of the masses. We should not be defending bourgeois and petit-bourgeois anxieties surrounding their property rights as if they have anything to do with the concerns of proletarian artists who are at risk of being laid off due to automation. Ensuring that IP holders get royalties from AI generation will not save jobs and will likely have ripple effects that threaten archival projects, search engines, and fan works. Not to mention that it would make any open source generative AI models basically impossible to develop or distribute legally.

So no, AI will not bring us communism. But reactionary anti-AI backlash will certainly not help either.

[transit-fag]

What's your 'murica gets its head out of its ass wishlist' for urban planning and other major policy shifts?

Mine is:

Left side driving

Changing to metric already

Universal income, extra for disabled people

Universal healthcare for everyone in any part of the US

Defund the world spanning military, grant statehood or subsidized independence to our colonies. Maybe just like idk patrol our own waters and skies perhaps?

Defund the police, and create community outreach orgs to help all suffering ppl, including jerks who struggle so much they think killing ppl is ever okay.

Establish limits on copyright law being 20 years like patents. (With none of the bullshit loopholes)

Establish that all intellectual property deemed a public good by someone kind is forced into the public domain irrevocably. (Careful I will rant about the patent on heated boxes or life saving meds)

Requiring any company that operates in the US to pay taxes to the US, and hold their executives responsible for damages to anything or one they cause.

Public trains to/from anywhere with more than double digit population. Some other form of public transit that gets its own lane at least for anywhere that is infeasible.

Make safe, secure, private, and well made housing, a right and not a commodity.

Make food a right.

Make clothes a right.

Make good internet a right.

Make electricity a right.

Make privacy a right.

Make education an unlimited right.

All people in the US are eligible for all rights and protections etc. (Citizenship is not a requirement to be treated well)

Ban plastics in anything where natural materials are better.

Subsidize growing actual food people want to eat, not industrial resources.

Ban golf courses anywhere they cannot naturally survive.

Exclude all organizations from exerting powers like the law except for the government.

Anyone making disproportionate use of a public good like water, transportation, etc, gets taxed proportionately. (Semi trucks bad, trains good)

Provide water reclamation resources to areas without renewable clean water, no matter the cost.

Require that people in any position of power be good kind people.

Make rule of law actually mean something, if the law applies to everyone equally than enforce it equally. (Including the government and military)

Make corporations not legally people (they aren't)

No nukes or WMDs

Give NASA 10% the national budget or smth, they deserve it.

Require that companies pay the union dues of their employees.

Encourage unions.

Make the NSA about aquatic biology instead. Say the National Aquatic Association or smth.

No guns in civilization, wilderness or rural only for civilians.

Disband the CIA.

Full audits of the government all the time, no classified or secret bullshit. With great power comes great scrutiny and actual responsibility.

Establish an actual nationwide recycling system to turn trash into compost or useful materials.

Establish restorative justice practices nationwide.

I uh went off a bit sorry, I miss anything?

I agree with most of this except left side driving, that is an evil British scheme.

Also how the fuck do you require people in power to be "good kind people" do you not see how that could be abused, it's completely subjective

[fanhackers]

Anne Kustritz’s Identity, Community, and Sexuality in Slash Fan Fiction

Anne Kustritz’s new book, Identity, Community, and Sexuality in Slash Fan Fiction: Pocket Publics has just been released by Routledge (2024).  You might know Kustritz, a scholar of fan cultures and transmedia storytelling, from her early essay “Slashing the Romance Narrative,” in the Journal of American Culture (2003) or maybe from some of her more recent work on transmedia and serial storytelling. But this new book is an exciting addition to the fan studies canon, and Fanhackers readers might be particularly interested, because the book “explores slash fan fiction communities during the pivotal years of the late 1990s and the early 2000s as the practice transitioned from print to digital circulation,”--which is the era that a lot of the fans involved in the creation of the OTW came from. As I noted in my book blurb, “​​While there has been an explosion of fan studies scholarship in the last two decades, we haven't had an ethnography of fan fiction communities since the early 1990s. Kustritz's Pocket Publics rectifies that, documenting the generation of slash fans who built much of fandom's infrastructure and many of its community spaces, both on and off the internet. This generation has had an outsized impact on contemporary fan cultures, and Kustritz shows how these fans created an alternative and subcultural public sphere: a world of their own.”

Kustritz doesn’t just analyze and contextualize fandom, she also describes her own experiences as a participant-observer, and these might resonate with a lot of fans (especially Fanhackers-reading fans!)  Early on in the book, Kustritz describes her how her own early interest in fandom blurred between the personal and the academic:

Because I began studying slash only a year after discovering fandom on-line, my interest has always been an intricate tangle of pleasure in the texts themselves, connection to brilliantly creative women, and fascination with intersections between fan activities and academic theory.  I may now disclaim my academic identity as an interdisciplinary scholar with concentrations in media anthropology and cultural studies and begin to pinpoint my fan identity as a bifictional multifandom media fan; however, I only gradually became aware of and personally invested in these categories as I grew into them.  This section defines the scope of the online observation period that preceded the active interview phase of this research.  In so doing it also examines the messy interconnections between my academic and fannish interests and identities. Trying to pick apart what portion of my choices derived from fannish pleasure and which from academic interest helps to identify the basic internal tensions and categories that slash fan fiction communities relied upon to define themselves, the pressures exerted upon these systems by the digital migration, and complications in academic translation of fannish social structures.

Later in the book, Kustritz discusses how fans have organized and advocated for themselves as a public; in particular, there’s a fascinating chapter about the ways in which fandom has adopted and transformed the figure of the pirate to forge new ways of thinking about copyright and authorship.  If the OTW was formed to argue that making fanworks is a legitimate activity, the figure of the pirate signifies a protest against the law and a refusal to be shamed by it: 

[F]ans also use the figure of the pirate to make arguments that validate some fan activities and consign others to illegitimacy.   At the urging of several friends involved with slash, I attended my first non-slash focused science fiction and fantasy convention in the summer of 2004.  The program schedule announced a Sunday morning panel discussion provocatively titled “Avast, Matey: The Ethics of Pirating Movies, Music, and Software” with the subheading “Computers today can distribute [more] intellectual property than ever before--not always legally. Is it ever okay to copy, download, and/or distribute media? Sorry, ladies, none of us will be dressed as Captain Jack Sparrow.”  The panel’s subheading, which obliquely warned away both lusty women and pirates, led a small contingent of slash fans to shake off Saturday night’s convention revelries unreasonably early and implement a plan of their own for Sunday’s panel.  As many fan conventions encourage costumes, known as “cosplay,” one of my friends and research participants happened to have been dressed as Captain Jack Sparrow of Pirates of the Caribbean that weekend, so I entered the piracy panel with Captain Jack and a motley crew of slashers, some of them intent upon commandeering the discussion.

The clash that followed exemplifies a structural fault line between various types of fan communities regarding their shared norms and beliefs about copyright law, the relationship between fans and producers, and appropriate fan behavior.

If you want to find out how this clash played out–well, you’ll just have to read the book. 😀

–Francesca Coppa, Fanhackers volunteer

[sensualnoiree]

astro notes: mercury 🧚🏿‍♀️

Mercury holds a prominent place in both alchemical and esoteric traditions, embodying a complex array of symbolic meanings and properties. In alchemy, Mercury is often represented by the symbol of the caduceus, a staff entwined by two serpents and crowned with wings, symbolizing both the volatile and fixed aspects of the element.

Mercury's symbolism in alchemy encapsulates the paradoxical nature of transformation. It embodies both volatility and fixity, representing the dynamic interplay between the ever-changing and the stable aspects of existence. This duality is reflected in Mercury's fluid nature, capable of assuming various forms while retaining its essential identity. In alchemical imagery, Mercury often appears as a flowing substance, symbolizing its ability to adapt and transform.

Mercury is associated with the bridging of opposites. As the intermediary between the spiritual and material realms, it facilitates the union of disparate elements, leading to synthesis and integration. This bridging function is essential in alchemical transmutation, where Mercury acts as the catalyst for the transformation of base substances into higher forms of existence.

Mercury is linked to the mind, communication, and intellect. It represents the mental faculties, including rational thought, analytical prowess, and linguistic abilities. Mercury's association with communication extends beyond verbal expression to encompass the exchange of ideas, the transmission of knowledge, and the dissemination of wisdom. Thus, Mercury serves as both the messenger and the medium through which insights are shared and understanding is achieved.

Within the alchemical tradition, Mercury holds a central position as one of the three foundational elements, along with Sulfur and Salt. These elements form the basis of alchemical work, representing the essential principles underlying the processes of transformation and transmutation.

Mercury, in its symbolic form, represents the animating spirit or the essence of life within matter. It embodies the vital force that imbues all living organisms with energy and vitality. In the alchemical quest for the Philosopher's Stone, Mercury serves as the primary agent of transformation, facilitating the transmutation of base metals into gold and the attainment of spiritual enlightenment.

As the intermediary between the spiritual and material realms, Mercury facilitates the exchange of energy and consciousness, enabling the alchemist to harness the transformative power of the universe. Through the alchemical process, Mercury guides the adept on a journey of self-discovery and spiritual evolution, leading to the realization of inner alchemy and the integration of the divine within the self.

In astrology and esotericism, Mercury is associated with the element of air and rules over the signs of Gemini and Virgo. Mercury's influence encompasses communication, intellect, adaptability, and cunning, reflecting its multifaceted nature.

As the ruler of Gemini, Mercury governs the realm of thought processes, mental agility, and intellectual curiosity. Individuals born under this sign are often characterized by their quick wit, versatile minds, and adept communication skills. They excel in areas such as writing, public speaking, and problem-solving, leveraging Mercury's influence to express themselves effectively and engage with the world around them.

In Virgo, Mercury's influence manifests in meticulous attention to detail, analytical precision, and practicality. Virgoans are known for their methodical approach to tasks, organizational abilities, and critical thinking skills. They excel in professions that require precision, efficiency, and attention to detail, leveraging Mercury's influence to analyze complex situations and find practical solutions.

follow for more astro insights like this and support me over on yt @quenysefields or instagram sensualnoiree

[mariacallous]

Kamala Harris, by most accounts, has learned a great deal by serving as vice president to U.S. President Joe Biden, who is the most experienced U.S. leader on foreign policy since President George H.W. Bush.

“Kamala Harris is Joe Biden’s protégé. He trained her,” said California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, a friend of Harris who has served as ambassador to Hungary.

But it’s also clear that Harris has created her own path on foreign policy—and that she represents the next generation of national security experts steeped in newer, high-tech threats that the Cold War generation represented by Biden is less familiar with. These encompass an array of ​​cyber threats, including election hacking and surveillance from abroad, allegedly including from state-run companies such as China’s Huawei; threats from space, such as reported Russian or Chinese plots to disable GPS systems; and over-the-horizon risks from artificial intelligence and quantum computing.

In her speech at the Democratic National Convention accepting the nomination Thursday night, Harris briefly mentioned the high-tech threat while affirming that she would prove a tough commander in chief who would “ensure America always has the strongest, most lethal fighting force in the world.”

“I will make sure that we lead the world into the future on space and artificial intelligence; that America, not China, wins the competition for the 21st century, and that we strengthen, not abdicate, our global leadership,” she said.

Harris’s familiarity with such high-tech areas springs from her unique experience. Beginning as a freshman senator in January 2017, she had a crash course in national security issues on the intelligence and homeland security committees during a period when many new threats from abroad were emerging. Only three days after Harris was sworn in as a U.S. senator by then-Vice President Biden, the Obama administration publicly dropped a blockbuster report revealing the extent of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s covert effort to harm the electoral prospects of Hillary Clinton and promote Donald Trump in the 2016 election. This involved buying digital ads on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram and organizing fraudulent political rallies across the United States, among other intrusions.

“In order to understand how Kamala Harris approaches foreign policy, it’s important to remember she began work in the Senate in the same month that every U.S. intelligence agency declared that Russia intervened in our 2016 election,” said her former national security advisor, Halie Soifer, who started working for Harris during the first week that she entered the Senate. “She played a leading role in the intelligence committee’s inquiry given her experience leading investigations.”

But that was just the start of Harris’s immersion in newer types of threats from abroad, former colleagues said.

“That was a period when the [Intelligence] Committee was in a very different position than most of the rest of the Congress,” said Sen. Mark Warner, the current chairman of the committee, who argued that it was on the cutting edge of foreign policy by exposing threats to U.S. national security that no one else in Congress knew anything about. “It wasn’t just that we were investigating Russian election interference. We were the first ones to identify the China threat [of technological surveillance] from Huawei, and intellectual property theft,” Warner said in an interview.

Those threats continue—and not just from Russia and China. Most recently, the FBI has said it is investigating alleged Iranian cyberattacks against both the Democratic and Republican campaigns for president.

Harris had previously familiarized herself with many of these types of threats during her days as California’s attorney general and a prosecutor in northern California, where she got to know Silicon Valley well. In her 2019 memoir, The Truths We Hold, Harris wrote how “shocked” she was by the state’s backward voting technology when she first took office, and how vulnerable it was to hacking.

“The California Department of Justice maintains the entire criminal justice data system for the state and for many many localities. So we worry constantly about protecting that from hackers,” Harris’s former Senate chief of staff, Nathan Barankin, told Foreign Policy. “When you’re attorney general, and you’re from California, which is very tech-heavy, you come into the job in the Senate and these committees already sensitized to not only the great potential and upside of technology, but its risks too. So when things came up like Huawei, quantum computing, or the manipulation of social media by foreign states trying to influence the election, she was already there.”

By the accounts of her intelligence committee colleagues, Harris swiftly mastered arcane subjects such as Russian election influence operations in cyberspace and Chinese intellectual property theft. She also proved to be a razor-sharp, if occasionally grating, questioner of witnesses, deploying her long experience as a prosecutor and attorney general in California.

“She was a force. She signaled early on that she was willing to do the hard work of oversight,” said Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, the longest-serving member of the committee. “She got more real questions into her five minutes [of questioning] than just about anybody. She made a point of staying away from speeches and asking tough, highly informed questions.”

“She showed that she understands the complexity of the world,” Warner said. He added: “I’m not sure my Republican colleagues would go on the record about it now, but she earned a whole lot of respect from them.”

Indeed, the Republican chairman at the time, Sen. Richard Burr, praised Harris in a 2019 Buzzfeed News article as a “quick study” and “very effective.” (The now-retired Burr, in an email, declined to confirm those comments for this article, saying, “I am not doing any interviews for the elections in November.” Several other GOP committee members who were quoted as praising Harris back then, including Sen. Marco Rubio, did not respond to a request for comment.)

It was notable that by the end of her first year in the Senate, Harris joined with fellow Intelligence Committee member James Lankford, a Republican, to sponsor one of the few bipartisan efforts to bolster the cybersecurity of voting systems. (The bill later stalled due to GOP opposition.) She also sponsored a bill to push the United States ahead of China on quantum computing. Later on, as vice president, Harris kept up the focus on high-tech threats, including from unregulated artificial intelligence, working with French President Emmanuel Macron on new initiatives on space and cybersecurity and representing the Biden administration at the Global Summit on AI Safety. She also served as head of the National Space Council and represented the United States at the COP28 climate conference in Dubai.

One reason that Harris focused on such an obscure area as quantum computing, Barankin said, was that she was concerned about “the investments and efforts that China was making to win that race. It was something she was very sensitive to in terms of how important it was for the U.S. to maintain its station in the world as the lone democratic superpower.”

“It was not uncommon for her to come into the office and outline some new technological development, even if it hadn’t been formally deployed,” said Barankin. “Being confronted with something different and new—that actually gets her engine running.”

Harris’s research into the cyber threat from Russia and other countries included a visit to Israel in November 2017, when she toured its cybersecurity hub at Beersheba. “It wasn’t a typical CODEL [congressional delegation visit],” said Soifer, the former national security advisor. “There were a lot of lessons to learn from the Israelis on cyber. After that, she used her role on the Homeland Security Committee to strengthen our cyber defenses.”

An aide to the vice president agreed that the prolonged intelligence committee probe was central to shaping Harris’s approach not just to Russia, but also to China and other autocratic states that seek to undermine U.S. power.

“She joined the committee at what was a historic moment of turbulence for the intelligence community and the country,” said the aide, a senior White House official who works with Harris and was authorized to speak only on condition of anonymity. “Her experience made her keenly aware of Russian’s malign influence activities and the importance of strong U.S. actions to deter, disrupt, and defend against such activities. That experience really enforced for her the need for strong global leadership by the U.S. You see her speaking about that now.”

It is no accident, he said, that in her speeches as vice president, Harris has repeatedly emphasized preserving the democratic “rules and norms” that keep the U.S.-led global system together in the face of efforts by Moscow, Beijing, and others to destroy it.

At a minimum, Harris’s performance during her four years in the Senate clearly undercuts many of the attacks on her by Trump and the GOP message machine that portray her as an intellectual lightweight (“not smart enough,” “barely competent” and “low IQ” are the epithets that Trump keeps using), and as an easy mark for other world leaders (she’d be a “play toy” in their hands, Trump said). Republicans—and even some Democrats—have also occasionally portrayed her as a mindless, knee-jerk liberal who’s been grandstanding for a presidential run almost since she was sworn in as senator.

Especially on the Homeland Security Committee, “some Democrats believed her pugilistic tone was mostly for show,” wrote Dan Morain, a former Los Angeles Times reporter, in his 2021 biography of her, Kamala’s Way: An American Life. “Others suspected her thirst for the spotlight was part of a long-range plan to ‘pull an Obama’ by staying just long enough in the Senate to get the credentials needed to run for president.” (Former President Barack Obama served briefly on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee before he ran.)

Harris had been warned before she even arrived in Washington that the Intelligence Committee, in particular, was not necessarily a place for an ambitious politician to go. Her fellow Californians, Sen. Dianne Feinstein and outgoing Sen. Barbara Boxer—whose seat Harris had just won—gave her a frank rundown on the pitfalls. The intelligence post, they told her, rarely yielded headlines. Most of the committee’s work was done behind closed doors, with no TV cameras in sight. It had a heavy workload, and it was the most mentally taxing assignment on Capitol Hill: Members went home every night with huge binders of material, but the subject matter was so classified they couldn’t even hire their own staffers to help figure it out.

Boxer, in an interview, said that she warned her successor of the committee’s low profile (a conversation confirmed by Harris herself in her autobiography). But Harris thought the committee would provide her some fast lessons in what was, until that point, mostly a blank spot on her resume: foreign policy. “I do think she just wanted to learn more, to know more about the world,” Boxer said. “She wanted to know about every threat out there. That committee doesn’t give you high visibility, but it certainly teaches you about what the heck is going on in the world.”

Warner added: “Remember, there are members that wouldn’t want to be on a committee where 80 percent of the meetings are in closed session. Because of that, some don’t even show up all the time. She showed up. We were the minority, and she was literally the last person to talk. But she would sit through all these sessions. She did her homework.”

Above all, Harris’s time on various Senate committees deepened her understanding of the vulnerability of U.S. democracy to both foreign and domestic threats from technology, her colleagues said. And she came to understand the threat in a visceral, very personal way, which may provide some insight into how she could be different from Biden, who learned foreign policy from a grand strategic perspective during his three decades on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Harris gradually realized there was a through line, a common theme, to what she’d been doing for much of her career as a prosecutor in California and shaping foreign policy, the new subject she was taking up as a neophyte senator, former aides said. She had spent her previous career as a district attorney and then attorney general of California dealing with the inequities and flaws of U.S. democracy, such as racial injustice in the criminal system and economic exploitation by Wall Street. Now she was faced with a high-tech plot to undermine democracy by exacerbating those same internal vulnerabilities and weaknesses.

“One of the things she found most insidious about Russia’s interference in the 2016 elections was its targeted effort to divide the United States from within,” said Barankin, her former Senate chief of staff. Or as Harris wrote in her autobiography, “Russia’s goals were to undermine faith in the U.S. democratic process.”

Harris said it was clear to her from the Senate investigation that the Russians were focused on dividing Americans over “hot-button” issues, “from race to LGBTQ and immigrant rights.” She described the moment Lankford, a fellow member of the Intelligence Committee, crossed the aisle to tell her he saw the same danger: “I’ve been listening to what you’ve been saying about race as our Achilles’ heel, and I think you’re onto something important.” (Lankford’s office did not directly respond to a request for comment.)

And now, in a kind of career twist she couldn’t possibly have imagined, Harris is running against a candidate who—though he was never shown to be colluding with Russia—is also directly threatening U.S. democracy, at least in the minds of many Trump critics. That has thrust Harris’s theme of democracy-and-freedom promotion forward in a unique way in the current election campaign, said Soifer, Wyden and other Harris supporters.

“You have to think about the moment of history when she started, in January of 2017,” Soifer said. “There was no real playbook for a situation in which a U.S. president would question our institutions and completely disregard our democracy. So not only was her experience on the [Intelligence] Committee essential for investigating the actions of a foreign adversary, it occurred at a moment that the person she’s now running against for president began to directly threaten our democracy domestically.”

And whereas Biden learned foreign policy gradually during his three decades in the Senate—dating back to the Vietnam War—“her view came in a crash course, shaped out of crisis,” especially the cyber threat from Russia, according to one former senior aide who spoke on condition of anonymity. “She had to become an actor right away in mitigating against the threat. So today, even as it relates to the way she talks about preserving democracy and norms and the rule of law, she’s infusing her own experience, making it distinctly her own.”

[follow-up-news]

After the coronavirus pandemic triggered once-unthinkable lockdowns, upended economies and killed millions, leaders at the World Health Organization and worldwide vowed to do better in the future. Years later, countries are still struggling to come up with an agreed-upon plan for how the world might respond to the next global outbreak. A ninth and final round of talks involving governments, advocacy groups and others to finalize a “pandemic treaty” is scheduled to end Friday. The accord’s aim: guidelines for how the WHO’s 194 member countries might stop future pandemics and better share scarce resources. But experts warn there are virtually no consequences for countries that don’t comply. WHO’s countries asked the U.N. health agency to oversee talks for a pandemic agreement in 2021. Envoys have been working long hours in recent weeks to prepare a draft ahead of a self-imposed deadline later this month: ratification of the accord at WHO’s annual meeting. But deep divisions could derail it. U.S. Republican senators wrote a letter to the Biden administration last week critical of the draft for focusing on issues like “shredding intellectual property rights” and “supercharging the WHO.” They urged Biden not to sign off.

[savethegrishaverse]

Save the Grishaverse Campaign Overview

Hello! By now you have probably seen our posts floating around - but what exactly is going on? What's the 'Save Shadow and Bone' campaign, and how can I help?

Well ask no more - here is the master post to answer those questions!

Firstly, let's talk about the what. If you didn't know, the Netflix original Shadow and Bone was announced to have been cancelled after two seasons, followed by another announcement that the proposed Six of Crows Spinoff would be scrapped as well. The thing is, Netflix had paid for the scripts to be drafted for the SoC Spinoff already! What's more, it seems mighty suspicious that the showrunner Eric Heisserer was a big part of the recent WGA Strike coordination for Netflix, and all the writers were very vocal about their support of the WGA strike, and only after the strike was over did Netflix announce the cancellation of the Grishaverse related show and spinoff.

Now to be clear, we are not saying that there is any sort of big conspiracy afoot, but boy does it feel like it. The Grishaverse has a huge fan-base, the cast was extremely passionate about continuing their work, and yet the show was cancelled without warning. Allegedly, some of the actors found out through Leigh Bardugo's announcement post - and not from Netflix directly! So, fans got together and decided that no, actually, we weren't going to stand for that.

Thus, the Save Shadow and Bone' campaign was born. But what are we doing exactly? Well, let's discuss!

Firstly, we've been organizing Twitter parties to keep the discussion of the Grishaverse trending! Already we've been trending a majority of the days we've been at it, and this is only the tip of the iceberg. We have so many more fun days planned, so keep an eye out!

We also have a petition! As of writing this, it's exceeded 170,000 signatures and we've been told by the Change.org devs that if it hits 200,000 it will be featured on the home page of the website! It's been growing incredibly fast - keep spreading it around!

We also have a letters to Netflix campaign running with hundreds of letters already prepared to mail directly to Netflix's offices! We even have a tutorial on origami crows provided so we can flood the offices with paper crows! Again, for more information on how to get involved and where exactly to address these letters to, consider joining our discord for concise information.

We've also been organizing Watch Parties to keep the show trending on Netflix's end, as this is what we've confirmed they'll be paying attention to. These 'watch parties' are encouraged to be fun events, whether they become irl parties for friends or online liveblogging/livetweeting events. The goal of this is to keep the show relevant to Netflix's audiences!

We've been reaching out to news outlets and have made contacts with several magazines already, and the world is watching. This is not just about our favorite show being canceled anymore - the way intellectual properties have been treated by these mega corporations has gotten wildly out of hand, and we want to show that audiences are tired of this cutthroat attitude to media onscreen.

Here is the link to our linktree for all of our social medias, the discord we have that is open to join, and access to our fanmade newscast Brekkin' News for updates on what's going on!

[docgold13]

Batman: The Animated Series - Paper Cut-Out Portraits and Profiles

Bruce Wayne 

The only child of Thomas and Martha Wayne, Bruce’s life changed forever one fateful night when his parents were gunned down in cold blood.  From that moment forward Bruce dedicated his life to fighting crime, promoting justice and protecting the sanctity of life; a dedication that culminated his donning the cowl of The Batman.

In some respects, businessman, philanthropist and socialite, Bruce Wayne acted as the disguise whereas the Batman was Bruce's more true and authentic self.  In his role as Bruce Wayne, he would conduct himself as kind, but also clumsy, carefree and shallow.  The world around him saw him as little more than philandering and feckless playboy.   Yet he used this guise to gather information and become involved in civic matters... all to better assist his activities as Batman.  

In concert with his activities as Batman, Bruce utilized his family fortune to institute a great number of charities and social justice programs.  This included free clinics in impoverished neighborhoods, providing better housing for low-income families, halfway homes to reduce recidivism for reformed criminal offenders and host of other endeavors.  Bruce sat on the board of trustees for Arkham Asylum, Gotham University and Gotham General Hospital.  His donations of time and money to these charities and organization acted as the second prong of Batman’s tireless war on crime and efforts to bring greater justice to Gotham.

Although Lucius Fox ostensively ran Wayne Enterprises, Bruce maintained an office at the company's main offices. Wayne Enterprises thrived under Luscious Fox’s stewardship, yet Bruce maintained involvement so to ensure that its direction stayed in line with his principles.  In particular he refused any deals that were deleterious to the environment and made certain that intellectual properties developed at the company could not be used for military or weapons-oriented applications.   Wayne Enterprises' research and development wing became the secretive provider of Batman’s arsenal of crime-fighting tools, vehicles and gadgetry.   

Actor Kevin Conroy provided the voice for Bruce Wayne, first appearing in the premier episode of Batman: The Animated Series, ‘The Cat and The Claw Part I.’

[persephinae]

U.S. Copyright Office Presses 'Pause' on DMCA Exemption for Video Games

By Lydia Leung, LLB | Last updated on November 08, 2024

When we think of a library, we picture never-ending shelves of books; the world's knowledge available to us at the touch of a finger. But nowadays, it's not just physical records that libraries collect. Many now lend video games to their members, providing their local communities with entertainment while helping preserve the software for future generations.

The recent decision by the U.S. Copyright Office (USCO) to reject an exemption to the DMCA for video games in libraries' collections has put that practice into question. The decision prevents video games from being accessed remotely by researchers. While some in the games industry view this ruling as a win for rights holders, others see it as a major setback for arts research, especially compared to researchers in other fields with "routine and regular access" to digital archives.

What Is The DMCA?

Passed in 1998, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) brought the U.S. in line with treaties of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), updating copyright law for the digital age. Section 1201 of the DMCA criminalizes the "circumvention of copyright protection systems" that prevent unauthorized access to copyrighted works, such as reading encrypted optical discs or removing copy restrictions from electronic documents.

Exemptions are made for some uses, including for nonprofit libraries, archives and educational institutions (section 1201(d)), as long as a "good faith" determination is made. Libraries are permitted to create digital copies of obsolete works for purpose of preservation, but those works must not be commercially available for a "reasonable price" and can only be accessed onsite.

The Petition

The Video Game History Foundation (VGHF) has been working with the Software Preservation Network (SPN) since 2021 on a petition to the U.S. Copyright Office, proposing that the DMCA digital copying exemption be expanded to allow access to games outside of the physical premises of an institution. A study published by the VGHF in July 2023 estimated that 87% of video games released in the US before 2010 are "critically endangered" and inaccessible, being out of print in either physical or digital form. Options to play classic games are limited as many require vintage hardware or are no longer available on a digital storefront, potentially pushing consumers and researchers towards piracy as the most convenient means of access.

The petition's main argument is framed from the perspective of fair use: works kept by archives and collections are exempt from copyright infringement laws if they are used for purposes such as research or teaching. To enable this, the SPN proposed a system of user vetting and copyright notices, allowing institutions to restrict access only to users who submit a research request detailing the scope of their project and providing notices to remind them that their access is subject to copyright law.

The requirement of having to request specific access ensures that games are being used for research purposes, with the SPN citing "academic literacy" as a way of filtering out users planning to access them for entertainment. The USCO already allows institutions to lend other forms of media remotely, and the SPN argued that the DMCA's stringent rules around distribution of software programs places impediments on video game scholarship that are not present in other disciplines.

Arguments Against

The Entertainment Software Association (ESA), a trade association representing the U.S. video game industry, opposed the SPN petition, stating that the exemption would leave rights owners insufficiently protected and that the market for classic video games would be damaged. The SPN's proposed method of fair use vetting was dismissed by the ESA as "illusory", arguing that this was not enough justification for the breadth of use they would enable. It would be too difficult for libraries to supervise multiple users remotely accessing games, thus enabling usage for entertainment purposes.

Furthermore, the ESA contended that the market for classic video games is "vibrant and growing", citing the number of titles currently available on digital storefronts such as the Xbox Game Pass, not to mention frequent re-releases of individual titles on modern systems. That a game is "out of print" does not mean it is lost forever, only that the copyright owner decided not to put it on the market. Allowing widespread remote access to classic games would present a serious risk to the market and prevent copyright owners from enforcing their copyrights.

The USCO Ruling

The USCO observed that, for a fair use exemption, access to the games would have to be guarded against recreational use by containing "appropriately tailored restrictions". The view taken by the ESA on the SPN's proposed restrictions was echoed by the USCO, which ruled that they were not specific enough to prevent market harm and that the SPN had not met the burden of showing that allowing simultaneous remote access by multiple users was likely to be fair.

Regarding the claims of market damage put forth by the ESA, the USCO acknowledged the evidence presented of a "substantial market" for classic video games, and the SPN's concession that the industry has made a greater effort in recent years to reissue older games. Considering these arguments, the Register ultimately rejected the petition, but recommended clarifying the wording used in the DMCA to reflect that a computer program may be accessed by as many individuals as the institution owns copies.

What Does This Mean?

As a newer form of digital media, U.S. law has yet to settle on a definitive classification of what copyrights arise from a video game. A common view is for games to be treated as computer software and for the source code to be considered a literary work. However, unlike "traditional" literary works such as books or newspapers, the interactive nature of a video game makes regulating access to it more complicated.

Games are often limited to their corresponding hardware, potentially leading to research costs going up as researchers may be forced to travel long distances or somehow purchase a retro console for themselves; not to mention potential consideration of extra-legal methods. Researchers are pushed into focusing on works that are easy to access rather than those they have a true interest in studying. Teaching is also affected: academics cannot assign their students games with historical or technological significance if they may not be able to access them (for example,  the original Metroid Prime (2002), noted for its female protagonist and being the first game in the series to use 3D graphics, is only available on the GameCube). This curtails the growth of video game studies, introducing obstacles to a field with deepening cultural impact and technological advancement.

In their submission to the USCO, the SPN compared the rise of video games to the film industry, highlighting the creation of the National Film Preservation Board in 1988 as a way of recognizing that films are a part of cultural heritage, worthy of academic preservation and study. Whether games will ever reach that status remains uncertain: they make up a large part of our cultural and entertainment landscape today and it's clear that they are here to stay, but only time will tell whether the USCO's attitudes change.

Man, come the fuck on....

i think CEO's should be rounded up and shot personally

[solarpunkbusiness]

Musana Carts: Solar-powered business in Uganda opts for open source IP over patenting

Taking its name from a Ugandan word for ‘sunshine’, the Musana cart uses an in-built solar panel to power an eco-friendly stove and a small refrigerator. By removing the need for charcoal burning, the Musana cart produces far less smoke than other food vendor carts, ensuring a cleaner and safer experience for both workers and customers. Other innovations include light bulbs, to allow the vendor to work at night, and phone chargers, so that they can offer mobile money services.

The decision not to patent the Musana cart could have been seen by Nataliey and the team as a setback, but it instead encouraged them to return to their original vision and mission of social innovation: making the livelihoods of Africa’s street food vendors cleaner, safer and more sustainable.

They realized that the more people who had access to their cart designs, the better, and that patenting their invention could restrict access. On this basis, they decided to open source their IP so that vendors across Africa were free to improve their lives through their innovation. When IP is open source, it means that other people and groups can freely use, modify and share it.

After several years of selling to vendors, Musana Carts is already having a positive impact in Kampala. The solar-powered food carts have proved to be cleaner, more hygienic and more sustainable than traditional charcoal-fueled food carts. The Musana cart’s in-built lighting allows vendors to work at night if they choose, giving them an opportunity to earn more. Musana carts can be purchased in installments, making them more accessible to poor workers. The company has also teamed up with Kampala Capital City Authority to ensure that Musana carts are legally recognized, freeing vendors from the risks and uncertainties of working in the informal economy.

Although she sees the value in patent protection in more economically developed countries, where the legal framework is in place to ensure that an individual can be remunerated for the use of their innovation or invention, she knows first-hand that this is much harder to establish in African markets. Consequently, Nataliey encourages female inventors not only to monetize their innovations in their markets, but to share them outside of their capacity as well.

Equally importantly for Nataliey, however, is the philosophy behind open source IP. When there are so many challenges facing the world, she argues, no one individual or organization can satisfy every market need. She feels that there’s room for many to thrive. Furthermore, Nataliey believes that open sourcing can incentivize further innovation by allowing people to build on each other’s inventions. It’s the concept of cooperation, codependence and community at the heart of the African philosophy of ubuntu: ‘I am, because you are.’ Nataliey’s hope is that her company’s use of open source IP will help make this concept a reality for street food vendors across Africa.

A case study on open source innovation from the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)