March 3rd, 2010 
Brad McGraw 
The Guardian reports that a US copyright lobby is trying to get the US Trade Representative (USTR) to include countries that use open source software to be included in the USTR’s Special 301 list. Countries like Indonesia, Brazil, India, Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand. Why these countries? Because they have enacted legislation to have public entities switch over to open source software.
So who is this copyright lobby? The International Intellectual Property Alliance (IIPA), basically a front group for the RIAA, the MPAA and the ESA. The same ones behind every Three Strikes Law in various countries, the ones calling the shots over ACTA which is in secret talks and completely non-transparent to citizens of the countries this would effect. So basically the people with something to gain, which are exactly the wrong people who should be guiding these things.
These are also the same guys who applauded the fact they got Canada placed on this list, despite the fact that Canada complies with its international IP agreements and works with the US government on these issues. The CCIA, basically an industry heavy group with members like Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, nvidea, AMD, ebay, etc, fully backs Canada and says Canada’s laws are fine. In fact Canada’s IP laws are in many ways more strict than US laws are.
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