UN Broadcasting Treaty May Restrict Speech

ashshy writes "A UN treaty under proposal could lead to unprecedented restrictions on free speech and fair use rights around the world. Ars Technica pulls together what you need to know from multiple sources." From the article: "The proposed broadcasting treaty would create entirely new global rights for broadcasting companies who have neither created nor own the programming. What's even more alarming is the proposal from the United States that the treaty regulate the Internet transmission of audio and video entertainment. It is dangerous and inappropriate for an unelected international treaty body to undertake the task of creating entirely new rights, which currently exist in no national law, such as webcasting rights and anti-circumvention laws related to broadcasting."

Comments

You cannot create rights

[Anonymous Coward]

Rights are by default. "Creating rights" means lifting bans, not the other way around.

Stop blaming the UN!

[MikTheUser]

This is a _proposal_ by the United States, so if you want to go and cry blue murder (which I think _is_ appropriate), don't take it to the UN, take it where it belongs - to the Bush administration.

Re:The UN is just so 20th century

[gstoddart]

I mean, seriously, it's a club for sad old socialists and communists who are still dreaming that they'll one day run the world. Why didn't we close it down years ago?

What is with you Americans and this view of the UN? It is the only framework we have for having nations try and work together peacefully, and establish the way they'll play together. It's not a perfect system, but it's better than saying "fuck it, just invade anyone you wish".

You'd think that Bush would at least have the balls to kick them out of New York.

Well, it was the US who helped to create the UN, after they said the League of Nations was no longer relevant. You can't throw away the only even remotely-functionaly international treaty organization every time you feel like throwing a temper tantrum because you didn't get your own way.

The US uses the UN to give them legitimacy when it suits them, and flagrantly disregards the fact that's a signatory to some of those treaties when they wish.

Walk away from it, and you could find yourselves a pariah state, and your relationships with your allies could become rather tenuous. Although, they've been becoming tenuous over the last few years due to the protectionism/xenophobia your leaders are putting forth to the rest of the world.

Le't hope America doesn't decide it want to go it alone so it can become the asshole/bully of the world -- though we see shades of that now.

Did anybody RTFA?

[Anonymous Coward]

I've scanned all the visible, non-threaded comments and none (including the /. blurb) mention what is most troubling to me:

broadcasters such as cable companies, radio stations, and Webcasting operators would essentially take over the rights to control material broadcast over the Internet, to the point where the original content creator would have to "beg permission from broadcasting companies in order to make any use of their own performances."

(emphasis mine)

If you think this is unlikely, remember that if you make up a song and sing it without writing it down or recording it, you have no US rights to that song.

And should you make a major label record, the label owns the copyright to the song you wrote and performed!

AFIAC, both major US political parties are my enemies. I intend to protest by splitting my vote amongst any third parties on the ballot this November. Clearly, my government, as well, it seems, as every other government are in the multinational corporations' back pockets.

Is it going to take an armed revolution to get our countries, our world, back? My country's declaration of independance starts with "We, the People." We, the people aren't being represented at all any more.

Fucking slashdot, I was already in a bad mood today >=(