Government negotiators and broadcast officials descend on Geneva this week to continue negotiations on a treaty that few people have heard about, yet one which may have damaging long-term consequences for consumers, technology companies, telecommunications providers, and the Internet.
The World Intellectual Property Organization’s Broadcast Treaty began several years ago as an initiative to address signal theft after broadcasters expressed concern that the international legal framework did little to protect against the theft or misuse of their television and radio signals.
While the content of most broadcasts is protected by copyright, broadcasters do not always hold that copyright. Movie studios, television production companies or sports leagues typically retain the copyright in original television programming, while broadcasters pay for the exclusive right to transmit the programs. Broadcasters use the programs to attract an audience and generate advertising revenues.
If the programs are stolen – for example, the signals retransmitted by another party without permission, sold as an unauthorized DVD or performed publicly without the requisite license – the copyright owner may assert their rights, but in some countries the broadcasters are left with limited ability to protect their interests.
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yea yea fuck off broadcasters