The EU Commission, struggling to justify its existence to the few, presented initiatives on intellectual property rights today.
Two important “take aways” from the news bulletin:
First, the servitude of the EUC to the wealthy isn’t just my opinion, but the EUC admits as much saying:
…
And yet, according to a recent study, counterfeit and pirated goods account for 2.5% of global trade with a tendency to increase. 5% of all imports into the EU are counterfeit and pirated goods, corresponding to an estimated EUR 85 billion in illegal trade (see also Factsheet – Why Intellectual Property Rights matter).
…
So the EUC efforts today, are on behalf of the tiny group of people who control 5% of the imports into the EU?
And the members of that tiny group aren’t even members of the EU?
That’s serious hunting for wealthy people in need of government toadies!
Second, the EUC has created a communication tax on interoperable products by enabling FRAND (Fair, Reasonable and Non Discriminatory) licenses on technologies that should be governed by Open Source standards.
The EUC position can be illustrated by re-casting the familiar Matthew 6:28 verse from:
And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
to read:
Consider FRAND owners, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
FRAND owners are parasites on otherwise vibrant and growing networks of communication. They contribute nothing to the public. What, if anything, they contribute to members of the EUC isn’t known to me.