AFL-CIO & IP

[Doug Henwood]

Under Rakesh's prodding, I asked a source in organized labor what the 
AFL-CIO's position on intellectual property restrictions. The answer 
was that because they have members whose income depends on them - 
artists & writers - they can't take too radical a position. Ditto 
technology transfer, which would hurt machinists and autoworkers. The 
line they take instead is that worker rights should be defended as 
strongly as IP rights. The source says they are looking into 
longer-term ways of compensating artists & writers better, and also 
considering some positions that would address "developing" country 
and NGO concerns - e.g. banning the patenting of life forms and 
waiving IP on life-saving drugs, especially HIV/AIDS drugs. They're 
also looking into whether they could support concessions in 
trade-related investment measures (TRIMs) for developing countries 
that observe core labor standards.

Doug