US Congressman calls WIPO 'the FIFA of UN agencies' at hearing

The US House Foreign Affairs joint sub-committee in Washington heard evidence of continued bizarre and allegedly illegal behaviour by Francis Gurry, the boss of the UN's patent body. The Committee promised yesterday to take action to demand reform of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) and push for publication …

[WatAWorld]

I would be upset that the USA is taking it upon itself to police a UN agency.

But the sad fact is that UN agencies and the UN itself have proven to be utterly and completely unable to police themselves.

It isn't just the WIPO.

To me the most galling are (A) the UN agencies dealing with famines and poverty, whose officials stay in 5 star hotels, and (B) the abuse of the archaic 'old boys network' idea of diplomatic immunity to permit drunk driving and sexual assaults. (A) is more common than (B).

In Europe there seems to be a thirst for increasingly undemocratic bureaucratic imperialism (literally imperialism in its strict sense).

It is great that at least one nation is stepping up to the plate and taking action to reign in the unelected bureaucrats that would destroy our democracies.

[GrumpenKraut]

> I would be upset that the USA is taking it upon itself to police a UN agency.

Not so sure anymore about this since the USA took care of FIFA. It's beyond mysterious that everybody and his dog knew the FIFA is a corrupt bunch and no EU country (especially Germany!) did anything.

So, in hope that the USA handle this wisely, beer.

[Anonymous Coward]

It's not mysterious at all. FIFA's European contingent was either in on the corruption (Blatter isn't a good Chinese name), or didn't say anything to avoid detracting from the international reputation of a game they loved, or to avoid snide comments about European neo-imperialism.

[Anonymous Coward]

Wow

You know things are really messed up when non US citizens are fine with the US meddling in supposedly independent world organizations.

If only our meddling was limited to crooks like those in WIPO and FIFA, and didn't extend to entire countries. OK yeah the countries in question are often be run by crooks, but the problems created by bringing down FIFA[*] pale in comparison to the problems created by bringing down Saddam Hussein.

* [Well maybe not, if increased soccer hooliganism is a consequence...perhaps already more people die in each year in western countries from soccer hooliganism that than from terrorism...]

[Jonathan Richards 1]

Naming of parts

> Blatter isn't a good Chinese name

The scientific name derives from the Latin blatta, "an insect that shuns the light" Wikipedia.org

[Anonymous Coward]

Hahahaha - a congressman made a joke, and it's funny! Who says American politics and humoUr don't mix?! (That Trump guy is a clown, for one thing!)

[Anonymous Coward]

"(That Trump guy is a clown, for one thing!)"

"Yet you had Americans meeting Hitler and saying, "This guy is a clown. He's like a caricature of himself." And a lot of them went through this whole litany about how even if Hitler got into a position of power, other German politicians would somehow be able to control him. A lot of German politicians believed this themselves."

http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/03/early-warnings-how-american-journalists-reported-the-rise-of-hitler/254146/

[billse10]

I'd have said he's more like Berlusconi, without as many amusing pics

https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2015/09/21/donald-trump-is-americas-silvio-berlusconi/

[Captain DaFt]

Trump - an epiphany

Self assured, quick to bully, a fountain of ignorance with the unshakable conviction that he is always right...

Y'know what? Trump is the twentyfirst century version of Moe Howard, he even has similar tastes in hair styling.

(disclaimer: The above link is not the latest Republican debate, despite the similarity.)

[Jagged]

Is there something in the air?

Have to wonder if running an IP organisation does something to your brain, because aren't we having similar issues with the president of the EPO?

[Chris G]

Re: Is there something in the air?

The two patent bosses are probaly drinking buddies, there certainly seem to be a few similarities in the two cases, when I read about the Euro one I confused it with the WIPO case.

[Anonymous Coward]

"equipment was sent to North Korea in return for their vote in favour of Gurry's re-election"

Sounds like Mr. Gurry has achieved his black belt in "UN career advancement".

Seriously, is the leadership of every org at the UN decided in accordance with these same perverse incentives? You put in a new tennis court at the presidential palace in some African republic, and in return you get that nation's vote putting you in charge of the UN International Agency X?

[Leapfrog]

Re: "equipment was sent to North Korea in return for their vote in favour of Gurry's re-election"

Yes. Except you are too naive. To get the vote he had to throw in a job for an NK government official. No, this is not a joke.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: "equipment was sent to North Korea in return for their vote in favour of Gurry's re-election"

Something like that.... you must be new here at the UN.

[Old Handle]

I admit I don't know anything about this agency besides its name, but I'm thinking the simplest way to handle this is to dissolve WIPO completely. It doesn't sound like something that will be missed.

[Anonymous Coward]

Yes--depending on the location, the prescription is "Bulldoze into East River/Lake Geneva, build something useful."

[Michael Wojcik]

But but but ... without WIPO there'd be no UDRP! DNS would burn!

More importantly, without WIPO, what would happen to that 250 million Swiss francs in revenue they collect every year? Money like that has to line someone's pockets.

[jamesb2147]

Low hopes for change

In spite of US grandstanding and some fairly strong statements of "personal" belief from Britain, it is Colombia's ambassador that's penultimately responsible.

I strongly suspect the Colombian government is *thoroughly* corrupt, based on my own, admittedly limited, dealings with consulates and stories from citizens.

So, unless the UN as a whole takes up the cause and the US, Britain, et al manage to push through a resolution, I expect nothing to change. Hell, Gurry may end up with a few sexual assault charges levied against him and dismissed, if he starts feeling cocky.

[Leapfrog]

Re: Low hopes for change

I seem to recall rumors that he was already accused of sexual harassment. A long time ago, admittedly

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Low hopes for change

"sexual assault charges levied against him and dismissed, if he starts feeling cocky"

Careful, we don't want to lower the tone around here. Next thing you know people will be reaching for Godwin's Law ....

[Diogenes]

Smith said the Australian ambassador to Washington had declined to give evidence but he repeated his invitation to talk to the committee either publicly or privately.

Firetrucking Joe Hockey, he was a lazy child of unmarried parents as Treasurer of our beloved land.

Given that our "beloved" former PM has put his hat in the ring to replace Spanky Moon, as Gen Sec, expect the whole UN to become even more dysfunctional

[Anonymous Coward]

Given the people both in our government (US) and others around the world, and in the various agencies of the UN, it shouldn't be any surprise that the State Department wasn't at all repulsed by Mr. Gurry. It isn't even worth raising how all these toads end up where they do, it has gone on so long.

[mhenriday]

US Congressmen/women

accuse another agency of corruption and loudly supporting «whistleblowers» ? Thief crying «Stop thief», pot remarking on the colour of another item of kitchenware ?...

Henri

[Michael Wojcik]

Re: US Congressmen/women

So what? That doesn't mean they're wrong.

How I tire of the hipster antipolitics of rejecting anything with any hint of hypocrisy. When you find a slate of saints to vote for, do let us know.

[Anonymous Coward]

So what was on that 24TB array?

There are sanctions in place which make it illegal to export technology to North Korea. Exporting the computer kit is one thing. However, WIPO has a somewhat massive database of detailed technology disclosures (https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/search.jsf)

So was that 24TB array just blank disks, or was there something else on it? Just asking...

[Kepler]

The FIFA of UN agencies?

I thought the UN was "the FIFA of UN agencies".

[Kepler]

Re: The FIFA of UN agencies?

Actually, now that I've actually read the article, instead of merely printing it out to read later, I have to admit that what WIPO's been doing really is beyond the pale, even for the UN. Strongly reminiscent of, and possibly even as bad as, what went on at UNESCO in the early '80s.

(Rusty on details, but an African potentate who was in charge then used all its money to build a personal palace for himself in Paris, etc. An unmitigated den of corruption, all in the service of a single individual who ran it with an iron fist.)

So it was kind-of the UN writ large. And very much like FIFA, of course.

[Kepler]

A glimpse at ICANN's future?

And also a glimpse at ICANN's future?

(If not its present and (recent) past as well. ICANN writ large!)