[Chapter-delegates] IP costs must be reasonable for all

[Dave Burstein]

Folks

Konstantinos asked for comments on ISOC IP policy. ISOC is committed to
Internet for All and development. We were deeply involved with WCIT.

   So I think we should take a strong stand that all charges for
"Intellectual Property" rights be fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory
for all. "FRAND" and "RAND" rules are included in all standards but rarely
enforced. In practice, fees demanded are often so high they make the
Internet and education too expensive for some.

   In particular, patent fees for mobile and LTE are so high they raise the
cost of Internet deployment. Mobile phones now as cheap as $25 have had an
enormous impact on deployment in Africa. *As smartphone prices come down,
there will be more Internet users in Africa than in the United States. *That's
an important trend.

   High IP costs can slow down that deployment in a serious way. $25
demanded for IP on a $650 iPhone is not a huge burden. $25 required on a
smartphone that can soon be manufactured for $50 raises the cost by a
third.

   So I think ISOC should strongly support *"reasonable" royalties defined
in the context of the cost of equipment/systems for less developed
countries and the poor.*

   That's a fight worth taking on.

db


On Fri, Mar 8, 2013 at 9:40 AM, Konstantinos Komaitis <komaitis at isoc.org>wrote:

> Dear Colleagues,
>
> As you may be aware, discussions on digital content have been going on for
> many years now and the Internet Society has been quite active in addressing
> some of the various intellectual property issues, specifically in relation
> to legislation like ACTA, SOPA and PIPA. The public policy team, having
> heard from many of you on this topic believes the time is opportune to
> submit a coordinated view on the issue of intellectual property via an
> issues paper.  The good news is that we have much material to draw upon -
> found here:http://www.internetsociety.org/our-work-intellectual-property
>
> The issues paper seeks to put forth minimum propositions relating to the
> discussions on intellectual property:
>
> o   Intellectual Property is part of Internet Governance: All discussions
> about intellectual property in the Internet should be conducted under a
> multistakeholder framework.
> o   Intellectual Property and Transparency: the need for transparency is
> reflected both in the Geneva Principles as well as in the Open Government
> Paradigm. The Internet Society believes that this need should further be
> reflected in agreements like the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement
> (ACTA), the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) and the Canada-Europe
> Comprehensive Agreement (CETA).
> o   Intellectual Property and the Rule of Law: Intellectual property
> should be based on principles such as due process, equality of rights,
> fairness, transparency, the right to be heard and legal certainty.
> o   Intellectual Property and Internet Architecture: The Internet Society
> has long recognized that the infringement of intellectual property rights
> is a critical issue that needs to be addressed, but, at the same time, it
> must be addressed in ways that do not undermine the global architecture of
> the Internet or curtail internationally recognized rights.
> o   Innovation without permission: All intellectual property laws and
> policies should bear in mind the Modern Paradigm for Standards Development,
> shaped by adherence to the following principles: cooperation; adherence to
> principles including due process, consensus, transparency, balance and
> openness; collective empowerment; availability; and voluntary adoption.
>
> Based on these observations, the Internet Society would like to propose a
> set of standards which we believe should guide all policies on intellectual
> property. At its most basic level, the Internet Society believes that all
> issues pertaining to the way intellectual property rights are expressed in
> the Internet space can be addressed systematically only through an
> inclusive and open framework, as we believe that it is currently the only
> sustainable governance model for policy issues relating to the Internet and
> its platforms.
>
> I would appreciate your comments on the above points. We would also
> welcome information on whether and how Intellectual Property policy and/or
> law making is being considered or implemented in your country. Please send
> your feedback by Monday, 18 March 2013.
>
> Many thanks
>
> Konstantinos
>
>
> Konstantinos Komaitis
> Policy Advisor,
> Internet Society
> komaitis at isoc.org
> tel: +41 22 807 1453
>
>
>
>
>
>
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>



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