Even the Policy Makers have doubts…

The World Intellectual Property Organization or WIPO is known to be very strict in its stance on counterfeiting and pirating laws, but during a meeting on the enforcement of copyright laws some of the members on the Advisory Committee of Enforcement had views that seem to go against  the essence of copyright laws, as well as the Advisory Committee itself. Some claimed that it might be more beneficial, economically speaking, to not enforce copyright laws as strictly as they have in the past. Claiming that for a developing country, enforcing clothing patents might not be beneficial to the welfare of the country. Most surprisingly, the Chief Economist of the committee, Carsten FInk, claimed that audio-visual goods piracy creates losses, but it also creates gains for hardware manufacturers, and that illegal copies of software would also be more beneficial.

What kind of message does that send if the Chief Economist of the Advisory Committee of Enforcement for the World Intellectual Property Organization claims that it is actually more beneficial to not pursue illegal copywriters. I think that when those setting the laws to begin with, come up with data suggesting that it is better to have illegal downloads of movies and music, as well as copies of clothing styles, software, and hardware, it is time to make some of these copyright laws less stringent. Not that I condone doing anything illegal, I feel that it is definitely time to make a change in these laws, allowing people to, not necessarily get whatever they want for free and cheat the system, but have a little more freedom when it comes to copyright laws.

– Cullen Lawlor