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              | Date: 2001-09-09 
 
 WIPOUT: Copyright/fimmel & Patentierer/ei-.-. --.- -.-. --.- -.-. --.- -.-. --.- -.-. --.- -.-. --.-
 
 Wenns schon um Gegen/essays geht, dann skribieret  halt den
 Analphabeten der Ära TCP/IP was Sache ist - Klartext only pls.
 
 post/scrypt: Die anmutige Zeile "The Electronic Frontier Foundation
 is pleased" hat unser Herz weit mehr erfreut als wenns geheißen
 hätte "The Electronic Frontier Foundation is not amused."
 
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 relayed by
 "g'o'tz ohnesorge" <gotz@amiga.com>
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 WIPOUT Launches Counter-Essay Contest on Copyright in
 response to WIPO Contest
 
 The Electronic Frontier Foundation is pleased to support this essay
 contest from WIPOUT.
 
 4 September 2001
 
 Dear Friends, Colleagues, and Fellow Activists:
 
 WIPOUT, an international organisation consisting of academics,
 artists, musicians, and other activists, is today (Sept. 4) launching
 the Intellectual Property Counter Essay Contest on its website:
 http://www.wipout.net/
 
 The multi-lingual essay contest has been organised in response to
 the World Intellectual Property Organisation's (WIPO's) own
 competition announced earlier this year. The counter contest is
 intended to challenge the over-protection of intellectual property (IP)
 which is doing much damage to education, health care, the
 environment, and economic security for millions around the world.
 
 Entrants are being asked to address the same topic that WIPO
 has posed: WHAT DOES INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MEAN TO
 YOU IN YOUR DAILY LIFE? We expect the counter contest
 essays to be rather more critical than those that WIPO is soliciting.
 
 The website also has a space for shorter 'Point of View' pieces on
 the same topic for those who have something to say, but do not
 want to write an essay.
 
 WIPOUT's contest will continue from 4 September until 15 March
 2002. The winning essays will be chosen by an international panel
 of judges and the results announced on 26 April 2002, the same
 day that WIPO announces the winners of its contest. WIPOUT's
 prize fund currently totals 1500.00 UK pounds (approx.
 US$2100.00).
 
 Unlike submissions to most essay contests, WIPOUT's essays
 will be immediately posted on the website and accessible to all
 readers, not just the judges. And although WIPOUT is hosting a
 'contest', we see the competitive aspect of the contest secondary
 to the purpose of enabling a public and critical debate on the over-
 protection of IP.
 
 More than 40 groups and individuals from 10 countries have, to
 date, announced their support for WIPOUT. (A complete list can be
 viewed at www.wipout.net) High-profile endorsers include Noam
 Chomsky, The Treatment Action Campaign of South Africa, the
 Gene Campaign of India, British barrister Michael Mansfield, and
 the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Center for the Public
 Domain in the US.
 
 WIPOUT sees the contest as a way of building on recent high-
 profile issues such as the South African anti-HIV drugs case, the
 growing protests against the TRIPS agreement and the WTO, the
 Napster saga (and increasing resentment against the high price of
 CDs), the arrest and charging of Dmitry Skylarov, and public
 concern about GM crops and the patenting of human genes and
 plants.
 
 The essays can be submitted to WIPOUT in English, French,
 German, and Spanish. A selection of initial essays, submitted for
 judging purposes or for the shorter non-judged "point of view"
 section of the website, has already been posted on the website.
 
 So what can you do?
 
 First, go and check our website, www.wipout.net, and look at the
 contributions already posted. Then if you want to become a part of
 the contest and join in the campaign against the over-protection of
 intellectual property, you can:
 
 1. Most obviously, write an essay or a 'Point of View' and submit it
 to WIPOUT. It will then be posted on our website. 2. Become an
 official endorser of the competition. 3. Make a contribution to our
 prize fund. 4. If you run a website, put a link to WIPOUT on your
 site (a .jpg button can be provided). We are happy to put a
 reciprocal link on our site. 5. If your group or organisation publishes
 a newsletter/magazine, mention our launch. We have a launch
 essay we can supply for you. 6. Download the Wipout poster and
 put it up in your workplace, university, school, or local shop. 7.
 Spread the word. Tell others who may be interested by forwarding
 them this email. There are a lot of people in the world who are
 extremely unhappy with the effects of the excessive protection of
 IP. Give them the chance to say what they think.
 
 Finally, keep checking www.wipout.net in coming weeks to read
 the new submissions. It shows there are others who share your
 views and want to do something.
 
 Background:
 
 Details of the WIPOUT contest can be found at:
 http://www.wipout.net/
 
 Details of the WIPO contest can be found at:
 http://www.wipo.int/pressroom/en/alert/2001/ma03rev.htm
 
 Contact:
 
 Our email address is: contact@wipout.net
 
 
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 edited by Harkank
 published on: 2001-09-09
 comments to office@quintessenz.at
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