This week the twin island nation of Antigua and Barbuda charged a local businessman , Giancarlo Bettini, and his Antigua based offshore company Slyloft Inc. with breaching laws under the W.I.P.O. Treaty. Bettini is the first to face the courts since Antigua and Barbuda ratified the WIPO Treaty (World Intellectual Property Organization Copyright Treaty) in 2003.
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations. It is dedicated to developing a balanced and accessible international intellectual property (IP) system, which rewards creativity, stimulates innovation and contributes to economic development while safeguarding the public interest.
Advanced Access Content Systems Licensing Administrator (AACS/LA) of the United States filed a complaint against Bettini and Slyloft Inc, accusing the company of manufacturing and selling software designed to decrypt AACS technology. AACS is made up of some of the world's leading computer companies, motion picture studios (including Walt Disney, IBM, Sony, Toshiba and Warner Bros. Studio) and electronics manufacturers and licenses to motion picture distributors, consumer electronic companies and manufacturers a technology by which High Definition HD DVDs, Blue-Ray discs, are encrypted from digital copy.
Only licensed companies may decrypt or re-broadcast the protected material under WIPO's laws. Director of Public Prosecution Anthony Armstrong said the product Slyloft produces is illegal in the twin island nation. "These products can be repeatedly reproduced and sold and distributed, with each subsequent digital copy typically retaining the clarity and quality of the original," Armstrong said.
"The activities of Slyloft have a potential to impair the reputation of Antigua and Barbuda, generally, and more specifically, it's reputation in allowing a company incorporated here to breach the country's international treaty obligations and its domestic laws while yielding, to the country, very little benefits," Armstrong added.
If found guilty the maximum fine Bettini faces is $10,000. Or two years in jail while millions of dollars are lost by companies operating legally.
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It's interesting because they likely figured they were in the islands so no one would question their copyright usage.
This is an IP (Intellectual Property) problem in all areas around the world, to encryption and copyright violation to trademark and brand name violations cheapening expensive brand names in foreign countries.
Treaty enforcement is a constant problem and a very interesting area. The area will only become more and more important as the world becomes more global so excellent foresight!
OTOOH, (3rd hand? :)) The way the whole system seems to work now, the smaller, unknown, less powerful Artists themselves seem to be more protected with strongly enforced protection, not only from pirates,(small potatos) but from other, competing entertainment groups/companies stealing their ideas & getting rich off of them.
Good On Ya Carrie!
Thanks, Carrie, it's very interesting, especially for me, up here in the middle of copy/fake heaven, Hong Kong/Schenzhen. This may put dvdragon-boy and samdvd, (local fake dvd merchants) out of business. Or at least cramp their style quite a bit.
I didn't know the technology for copying was encrypted and always kind of wondered how they managed to get perfect copies of TV shows, & some movies, but not others.