Information Society Watch

2003, CPTECH

This is an open letter to the Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) by representatives of various civil society organisations and educational institutions, encouraging WIPO to engage in discussions on the establishment of open and collaborative networks, as well as their relevance in public policy. The letter provides several instances of successful open and collaborative networks which include the World Wide Web, the Global Positioning System (GPS), The Human Genome Project, among others. The letter quotes FOSS evangelist, Richard Stallman who argues that open networks are a basic 'human right'. One of the more critical instances quoted is the decision of the US government to keep the GPS system free, which has led to enhanced safety for civil aviation.

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