Chinese Representative May Lead U.N. Domain Seizing Body
jmichaelhudsondotnet writes:
https://reclaimthenet.org/china-lead-un-wipo-copyright-domains/
https://archive.is/txBbG
Earlier this month, China nominated a candidate to become the next leader of the United Nations' (UN) World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). WIPO administrates the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) - a policy that allows copyright holders to seize web domains and has been criticized for its excessive clampdowns against domain holders.
Concerns over China exporting its censorship through US companies have been on the rise over the last few months. If China's candidate is elected as the head of WIPO, it would give China greater influence over the UDPR and the associated confiscation of domains under this policy.
Critics of UDPR include digital rights group the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) which describes it as a policy that has "been used to clamp down on legitimate parody and criticism in ways that domestic trademark law would not allow.
[...] Wang will compete against six other candidates:
- Daren Tang (Singapore): The head of Singapore's Intellectual Property Office
- Kenichiro Natsume (Japan): A senior official in WIPO's Legal and International Affairs Department
- Saule Tlevlessova (Kazakhstan): The president of the Eurasian Patent Organization
- Edward Kwakwa (Ghana): A senior director in WIPO's Department for Traditional Knowledge and Global Challenges
- Marco Alemin (Colombia): WIPO's top patent lawyer
- Dimaso Pardo (Argentina): The president of Argentina's National Institute of Industrial Property
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