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FIAM News

Words from the President

The context of Quebec Government is no more favorable for FIAM to carry on its activities in Montreal. But our associated members continued theirs, often with a great dynamism, in the five continents. After all, FIAM has kept its office in Shanghai. The international environment is evolving quickly. I could feel the pulse during my numerous trips abroad, especially in Asia, in Europe and in South America. Even in Africa, despite its endemics, is not outdone. When Google offers us online extraordinary 3D images of the earth by satellite, when Los Angeles installs its wireless and free municipal network, when the e-business and the advertising online has finally taken off, I am happy to announce that FIAM relaunched its activities from its head office in Montreal, since the appointment of Mr. Li Ping as Executive Director, succeeding Mr. Andr¨¦ C?t¨¦, whom you knew well during the previous years, and to whom I would present my thanks here for his devotion. As the director for communication, Mr. Zude Le will maintain our web site. I would like thank him as well. As you see, FIAM¡¯s networking would interest all of our members in the present economic context. Nevertheless, I have been my-self in France, then in Cuba last February, and I will go to Chili, to Argentina, and also to Costa Rica in March. You see that FIAM does not neglect any region of the globe. So, I would invite all of you to get in touch with Mr. Li Ping, and regularly send information about your activities to Mr. Zude Le, who will put them online on the FIAM web site.

Good success!

Herv¨¦ Fischer
President of FIAM

Year 2007

Plans in 2007

Year 2006

August 2006
March 2006

Year 2005

June 2005
Other activities

Year 2004

October 2004
June 2004
March 2004
January-February 2004

Archives 2003

November-December 2003
October 2003
September 2003
August 2003
June 2003
May 2003

Plans of 2007

Mr. Herv¨¦ Fischer, President of FIAM, will attend the seminar: << McLuhan,the last great thinker of the Age of fire>>

Organized by AMTEC ¨C Association pour les medias et les technologies en ¨¦ducation au Canada, 2007, Winnipeg, Canada

Mr. Herv¨¦ Fisher will attend "Colloque Informatique << El declino del Emperio hollywodense>> " 2007, San Juan, Costa-Rica.

August 2006

Mr. Herv¨¦ Fischer attended the conference : << Desafios del arte digital >>

August 2006, Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Santiago, Chili.

March 2006

Mr. Herv¨¦ Fischer attended the "Biennale des Arts de la Havana" : <<: Metropolis Digital. La metafora urbana del Web >>

March 2006, La Habana, Cuba

June 2005

Mr. Herv¨¦ Fischer attended the conference <<Dynamic perception of the virtual world>>,IAMAS. Istitut for Advanced Media Arts and Sciences,

June 2005, Ogaky, Japon

Other activities of 2005

Mr. Herv¨¦ Fischer visited China in 2005

The signing ceremony for cooperation agreement between International Federation of Multimedia Association (FIAM/IFMA) and Shanghai Multimedia Industry Base (SMIB). (2005)

October 2004

WORLD SUMMIT AWARD EXPERT PANEL ‘05

Based on the experience of the World Summit Award (WSA) 2003 process, the WSA selection of the best practice examples in e-content and creativity will be again (2004/05) made through the panel of the most recognized national experts.

The WSA Expert Panel ‘05 is a selection of most eminent experts from the 191 United Nations member states. Only one expert per country will be selected and appointed to exclusively represent his/her country in the framework of the WSA ‘05

The main task of the Expert Panel member is to select and propose the eight, in his/her opinion, best practice examples in e-content & creativity from his/her country. The selection shall be made according to the eight WSA categories and to the selection guidelines, provided by the WSA office.

All nominated products will be evaluated by the WSA Grand Jury. The producers of the selected products and applications will be invited to the second phase of the United Nations World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in Tunis, November 2005, to exhibit and showcase their products in the framework of the WSA Content Villages and be present on stage at the 'WSA Winners Gala 2005”.

Take your chance to get your country represented by the Best of the Best and submit your nomination now!

Deadline: October 15, 2004

For more information please visit: www.wsis-award.org or contact wsis-award@icnm.net

June 2004

FIAM in China to prepare the 4th World Summit on Internet and Multimedia
André G. Côté, FIAM Executive Director, was in China in May to prepare the 4th World Summit on Internet and Multimedia : Multimedia Technology and the Digital Future : Linking China and the World, to be held in Beijing from October 18 to October 20, 2004. Mr. Côté held a conference on May 23 entitled New Network Media & Traditional Media:Innovation of Network Age. He also held a press conference on May 24 along with our partners for organization of the Summit :, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade - Beijing Sub-council, the People’s Government of Beijing Municipality (Xuanwu District), the Beijing Multimedia Industry Association and the Shanghai Multimedia Industry Association.

In the meantime, all are getting ready for the Summit. All Associations are invited to contact FIAM as soon as possible to prepare their participation to the Summit and organize delegations for the Trade Exhibition. Please don't hesitate to contact us to let us know what are your interests and preoccupations regarding the issues you would like to see discussed during the Summit at summit2004@fiam.org.

Hip and Trendy Justice ?

Reflections on a decision of the Federal Court of Canada legalizing music file-sharing online

By Hervé FISCHER, FIAM President

Section 28 of the decision sets out that under the current Canadian copyright law, the mere fact of placing a copy (of an MP3 file) on a shared directory in a computer where that copy can be accessed via a P2P service does not amount to distribution. Before it constitutes distribution, there must be a positive act by the owner of the shared directory, such as sending out the copies or advertising that they are available for copying. But no such evidence was presented by the plaintiffs in this case, the principle being that the victim of theft has nothing to say given that he did not publicly offer to distribute what was stolen... Way too simple!

The Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA) lodged formal complaints–to no avail–against 29 Canadian Web users who turned to the Kazaa software application to share music files using pseudonyms (but whose IP addresses were recorded). It appears that these 29 users were far from limiting their activities to private and discreet usage, given that they apparently distributed thousands of music files on the P2P networks. However, Canadian Internet service providers, such as Telus and Bell Sympatico, showed no willingness to expose their clients. Vidéotron, owned by Quebecor, also the parent company of Archambaultzik which sells music online, seemed to soften and wish to cooperate with the CRIA. But since last March 31, when the court rendered its decision, it appears that the problem is no longer a problem, at least as far as the current legislation is concerned, and according to justice Konrad von Finckenstein, who justified his decision by referring to legislation governing the photocopy of books.

Are we to believe that justice is fighting for the cause of the young Web users who pirate everything of interest to them on the Internet without the slightest hint of a guilty conscience? Maybe this could be viewed as quite a pleasant gesture, albeit highly surprising! In fact, these are early stages yet, as justice is a little pressured by the novelty of the legal issues stemming from the NICT. The courts can only apply laws as they are written, and as concerns the new issues proper to the digital age, the issue is more likely to be the obsolescence of legal issues inherited from the Gutenberg era. Though the American courts have pronounced conflicting decisions in similar cases, thus favouring a 30% reduction in the number of illegal downloads, according to the media, the decision of the Federal Court of Canada gives rise to several realistic comments:

- 1st challenge: Cyberspace law must be set out in writing and voted by parliaments in appropriate fashion, without pernicious, often unpredictable effects, while everything in this area is new and the context is extremely changing and volatile.

- 2nd challenge: The law must be established and enforced on the basis of a consensus that is as international as possible. Failing this, Canada, somewhat like a banana republic, will become a haven for entrepreneurs specializing in pirating not only music files, but also software applications and soon, movies. The current dysfunction is clearly unbearable in the case of transboundary digital networks.

- 3rd challenge: A decision that does not give rise to enforcement involving sanctions is flimsy to say the least! If Bell, Telus and Vidéotron comply and expose or deny access to their clients who have infringed the law, the only result will be to displace the problem, given the number of non-distrainable alternate service providers ready to surface every day.

- 4th challenge: Contrary to what has been put forward, the issue is not as much a digital technology issue as a societal issue. If society is permissive, from petty larceny to photocopying to pirating, it is because that’s what society wants. If this was not the case, technology is perfectly capable of ensuring access denial and criminal usage detection.

The fact is that this same technology, the cause of so many headaches in the field of intellectual property, constitutes both the cause and the solution to the problem–on the condition that society is truly determined. Tracability is not only one of the evident and unavoidable virtues of digital efficiency, it is also one of the most threatening dangers of our times. It allows just as easily to go directly to the source of a suspicious computer (pirating, spam, illegal activities), to track every movement of an electronically marked file (undetectable metadata and invisible spy software applications), to control our private life, to record our consumer “lifestyle” (marketing and data mining), or to threaten our rights and freedoms. Digital transparency is one of the most serious and most unrecognized problems in our democracies.

-5th challenge: The problem rests therefore on the choice between two ideologies. The first is libertarian: One can say anything, do anything in cyberspace, and everything in cyberspace must be free of charge. The fact that this new social communication tool has become a supermarket is simply unbearable. The second reminds us that democracy is a necessity and a social virtue that must also apply in cyberspace. Thus, cyberspace should be regulated and subject to the same values as those that prevail in the true society.

The weakness of the Federal Court’s decision rests on the lack of regulatory tools targetting cyberspace and therefore on the irrelevance of applying to the virtual society a law that is designed for the true society. A photocopy can not be compared to a music file. To do so, one would have to ignore the fact that a photocopy is a local element and has only very limited commercial value. Copies of a music file or a software application are exactly the same and of the same value as the master. They are immediately and extensively reproducible and transportable without limitation or loss of definition. Copies can therefore be resold, which is not the case for photocopies, and may be substituted to the commercial copy, thereby entailing loss of sales for the industry. To ignore this fact is to be little aware of the impact of digital technology, or to endorse a makeshift job of judging the goose on the basis of a regulation drafted for the gander…

We are at the early stages of a vast effort needed to train justices in the area of cyberspace legislation. We haven’t quite finished finding our laws and justices at fault as regards the challenge that confronts us. However, this is not the end of the story. The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) has also launched legal action against hundreds of Web users downloading and sharing music files online, both in Canada and in Europe (Italy, Denmark, Germany, etc.). Despite the fact that many share a great interest in music and are attracted to the user-friendly and trendy download process–in a nutshell, the new generation, just like the justices, have no complaints–, the cultural industries, soon including the digital movie industry, can not tolerate these practices. Otherwise, the creators themselves will suffer–which in itself is intolerable. We must protect and support them.

The Federal Court of Canada is sending out a very negative message, while we are told that in France, for example, legal action is launched against Web users who have illegally downloaded music files (two-month suspended sentence, complete with a fine of 19,000€, according to an order of the Tribunal correctionnel de Versailles, in November 2003), and that recording firms are preparing to reduce their staff in France by roughly 20 to 25% following a drop in sales. Meanwhile, in the United States, 14% of the Web surfers – representing roughly 17 million people – have reported, during a recent poll, that they have given up free downloads available through software application sites Kazaa or Grokster, for fear of being the object of legal proceedings.

March 2004

FIAM’s Multimedia World Watch (M2W) publishes a new Study

The M2W has just issued a new study called “Ensuring the sustainability of online cultural and heritage content: from an economic model to an adapted strategy”, commissioned by the Canadian Culture Online Branch of the Department of Canadian Heritage, with a view to improving management of programs supporting the online availability of cultural and heritage content.

This study is based on an exhaustive literature review and eighteen interviews conducted all over the globe with professionals in cultural and Web-related fields representing mainly cultural institutions, government departments, Web producers/publishers, broadcasters, new media artists, and intermediaries from the cultural sector. Our primary objective was to understand the Internet as a medium by identifying the main factors that affect the value of projects on the Web. Beyond a simple economic approach, our goal was to identify all the key elements that may factor into the success of an online cultural initiative.

This study is available here. Your comments are welcome at research@m2w.org.

January-February 2004

Back from the WSIS

Upon returning from the first phase of the World Summit on the Information Society, held in Geneva from the 10th to the 12th of December, we had the strange feeling that we failed to seize all the opportunities and to make use of our network in the advancement of the cause upheld by the 15,000 or so participants.

For those who are not familiar with the ritual gatherings of the United Nations, you could find there all the ceremonial of the greatest occasions.
Impressive security measures had been taken to protect the participants and government delegations against some kind of threat (organizers went to great lengths to provide to civil society representatives all the leeway required to avoid demonstrations and prevent things from getting out of hand), including the services of the Swiss army equipped with a fail-safe identification system. “Checkpoints” included X-ray detectors, and soldiers bearing machine guns were posted at all entrances.

The impressive exhibition, organized under the very “French Genevan” banner of ICT4D (which has no meaning whatsoever in French), gave the impression that we were participating in the outcome of the project rather than in its launching. Several organizations working in the area of development aid, often financed by regular United Nations programs, presented their projects designed to ”fill in the digital divide”, most of which were excellent and imaginative.

On top of this were numerous conferences, roundtables, debates, staging personalities and renowned specialists, many of them held simultaneously, forcing us to make heartbreaking choices. In brief, everybody was there, and lets believe it was a success.

However, we are still confused on how to follow-up of these issues. An all-embracing Declaration of Principles and a very ambitious Plan of Action, covering almost every aspect described in the Declaration of Principles (http://www.itu.int/wsis/documents/
doc_multi.asp?lang=en?&id=1161|1160),were adopted by the participating countries. But for the time being, it is virtually impossible to know who is responsible for the application of the Plan of Action, what resources will be allocated and by whom, what kind of process will be put in place and who will be eligible to submit projects, finally, it looks like everyone is given the initiative and the financial charges that come with it.

The FIAM will keep on following closely the WSIS process and will try to find a way to involve the Associations and their member companies for the second Phase that will conclude in Tunis from 16th to the 18th of November 2005.
All suggestions are welcomed at wsis2005@fiam.org and we will give our support to Associations willing to propose solutions to the Digital Divide that are facing the developing countries.

November-December 2003

As of November 28, 2003, FIAM is recognized by the Quebec Government as an International Non Governmental Organization (INGO). This status is bestowed to the Federation by the Quebec Ministry of International Relations, headed by the Deputy Prime Minister, Mrs. Monique Gagnon-Tremblay. The title comes attached with several privileges and allows FIAM to take advantage of several financial and fiscal advantages. Bestowing OING status to international organizations is a policy of the Quebec Government who want to encourage organizations such as FIAM to develop their activities within and outside the province as well make the City of Montreal a real international hub

How can we classify the multimedia and interactive digital content industry (MIDC)? FIAM has decided to tackle this question in cooperation with member associations and industry experts. To kick off the process, the Federation is issuing a discussion paper as contribution to discussions on classification of MIDC in the context of current work undertaken by various regional and multilateral organizations such as the OECD, NAICS (North America), NACE (Europe), ISIC (UN), and MIDC industry representatives. This document stems from the need to better identify MIDC industry and associated activities in order to improve economic and statistical evaluation and quantification of MIDC outputs and establishments, taking into consideration the unique characteristics of this industry. Industry classification systems have to reflect the changing nature of ICT in general and MIDC in particular, and also allow for a widening set of statistical data and the development of more appropriate MIDC industry indicators. The economic well-being of the industry depends on the intangible assets produced by MIDC companies. Hence the need to focus on an effective and wide-ranging definition of MIDC activities and outputs and on developing appropriate measurement tools and indicators in order to provide more accurate pictures of the MIDC industry in specific countries and regions. FIAM calls upon the development of new models of thought regarding the MIDC industry and to help us in this exercise, the development of indicators that take into consideration the outputs of all MIDC establishments. To carry these arguments further, the discussion paper presents certain recommendations which we invite you to read in this document. For more information regarding the discussion paper on classification, please contact André G. Côté agcote@fiam.org.

The Third PrepCom of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS): it is official now; the second leg of PrepCom3 which reconvened in Geneva, November 10-14, was not successful in getting national delegations and other participants to agree on a common Declaration of Principles and Action Plan. Contentious issues include Internet governance (i.e. who should control and administer the Internet, the United Nations or ICANN), disagreements on a realistic financial engagement on the part of participating nations (refusal to entertain the notion of a Senegalese-proposed Digital Solidarity Fund for example), finding a proper balance for the attribution of intellectual property rights (including the use of open source), the inclusion of article 19 of the UN Universal Human Rights Declaration related to freedom of speech as well as the recognition of the media as a fundamental player in the information society. The November session was intended to go over these and other issues of contention and ensure that expected Heads of state invited to Geneva in December can sign a ‘reasonable’ Declaration of Principles and Action Plan. Following this failure to agree, WSIS organizers have announced that another high level session will take place Dec. 5 and 6 in Geneva to see what agreement can be cobbled before the official WSIS meeting dates (Dec. 10-12). FIAM will be present in Switzerland during WSIS and intends to participate actively in all related activities in addition to meeting in separate venues present industry associations. All information regarding the Summit can be found at www.itu.int/wsis.

Prior to WSIS, FIAM will partner with CyberFestival in presenting a conference and organizing a roundtable on the issue of cultural diversity and languages in the Net. CyberFestival will take place Dec. 8-9 in Meyrin (a suburb of Geneva) and is headed by Alain Modoux, former Assistant Director-General of UNESCO for Communication and Information. The two-day programme will focus on the varied opportunities ICTs provide to local communities and minorities, and on problems faced by these populations when encountering the emerging information society. The CyberFestival will also showcase innovative experiences that address the social, economic, political and cultural needs of these local communities and minorities. The festival will present conferences, workshops, exhibits, as well as film projections dealing with themes related to local content. FIAM President, Hervé Fischer will present a keynote speech on the issue of languages and the sciences and FIAM association member SwissMedia will organize a roundtable on cultural diversity and the production of local digital content. The roundtable will be moderated by Roland Grunder, Secretary General of SwissMedia with the participation of Richard Delmas from the European Commission, Peter Dobrila from KIBLA (Slovenia) and Carlos Vera from CONATEL (Ecuador). A period of questions will follow. Other participants at CyberFestival include Adama Samassekou, President of PrepCom, José Maria Figueres, Chairman of UN ICT Task Force and David Streiff, Head of the Swiss Cultural Office among others. www.cyberfestival.net

FIAM/Caprosoft and Insight 2004: The Costa Rican Association, in collaboration with Export development Corporation Procomer is hosting January 28-30, 2004, Costa Rica Software Insight 2004, an event to which FIAM is associating itself. Insight 2004 brings together software and ICT organizations and experts worldwide in order to discuss and analyze development strategies for the Costa Rican software sector, in particular issues related to exports strategies. The Costa Rican ICT industry is very dynamic and wishes to showcase its innovative spirit as well as its drive to look beyond its national boundaries. We should expect good business contacts and networking, interesting speeches and roundtables and a healthy amount of sightseeing. FIAM representative Nasser Boumenna, in charge of Content and Strategic Development, will present a paper on the uptake of Internet and multimedia tools by business enterprises (SMEs in particular) and participate in a roundtable on software development strategies in specific countries. For more information regarding Insight 2004, please see www.procomer.com/software.

October 2003

FIAM at Gitex 2003: the high-tech world might still be reeling from unfavourable economic conditions but one would not have noticed it at the bustling Gitex 2003 in Dubai, UAE (October 19-23). FIAM was present at this much sought-after event as the organizer of the Quebec business delegation for the sake of Quebec Ministry of Economic Development and our representative, Nasser Boumenna, Director of Content and Strategic Development, took advantage of his presence there to meet with various Middle Eastern and north African ICT associations. Gitex has become a not to be missed exposition in the region with most large telecommunications and software companies setting up booths along with national pavilions. FIAM’s role was the organization of the Quebec delegation, a contingent of seven high-tech companies interested in developing business partnerships with local or regional companies. For FIAM, it was also an opportunity to meet with eight national associations from the Middle East and North Africa and discuss potential regional projects in the field of multimedia and interactive digital content. For more information on Gitex 2003, please see http://www.gitex.com/main.html

The third PrepCom of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) will reconvene in Geneva, November 10-14, since the national delegations have not managed to iron out during PrepCom 3 in September 2003 the texts of the Declaration of Principles and the Action Plan. Coming to an agreement then on specific issues regarding the Declaration and the Action Plan has been difficult with no obvious solutions in the offing. Contentious issues include the inability of the Summit to seek consensus on a realistic financial engagement on the part of participating nations, strong disagreements over a proper balance for the attribution of intellectual property rights, restructuring internet governance, greater acceptance of open source software, to name only a few. The November session is intended to go over these disagreements and see how text brackets can be removed from all contentious issues and language and ensure that expected Heads of state who intend to be in Geneva in December can sign a Declaration of Principles and Action Plan fully reflective of the challenges ahead. Much work remains to be done.

On the Youth WSIS side, many initiatives have been put together by the Youth Creating Digital Opportunities group (YCDO, http://ycdo.takingitglobal.org/aboutus/). YCDO was formally established in February 2003 and its membership is a coalition of voluntary youth organizations committed to achieving an interesting set of principles and objectives related to ICT development. The stated vision of YCDO is to “realize the potential of young people as leaders in using information and communications technologies to achieve more sustainable development in their communities and around the world”. Principles for collaboration include respect for diversity, respect for intellectual property, subsidiarity, transparency, accountability, timeliness and discretion. Many projects have been put together by this group in different parts of the world and we invite you to surf though them at this address http://ycdo.takingitglobal.org/projects.html. For more information on the YCDO Coalition or the YCDO Community, please contact: info@ycdo.net. The Coalition is now accepting membership applications to be considered at its next steering committee meeting in December 2003. To apply, please download, complete and submit the YCDO application form to the YCDO Coalition Coordinator, Terri Willard (twillard@iisd.ca; fax: +1 (204) 958-7710).

Following on its initial 2002 Arab Human Development Report that addressed the most important development challenges facing the Arab world at this moment in history, the United Nations Development Program published very recently a second report (out of four) examining one of those challenges, namely building a knowledge society in Arab countries. The report is highly critical of the political structures governing Arab societies. It is argued that freedom of expression is lacking and financial resources going into education are not consistent with the needs of the citizens. Together with other structural and social elements particular to the region, the development of a knowledge society is simply hampered. Changes are happening and the last two years have seen great improvements in the Arab information environment brought about by competition (satellite driven information and the Internet). But the statistics are daunting: access to digital media is the lowest in the world, number of telephone lines is one fifth of that in developed countries, there are only 18 computers per 1000 people compared to 78 in the rest of the world and only 1.6 percent of the population enjoys Internet access. On the publishing side, the picture is even more grotesque with the Arab world publishing 1.1% of world production although Arabs constitute 5% of the world population. Conditions are not ripe for the information society and certainly not for endogenous knowledge generation. The report however is very encouraging on the capacity of Arab creators to produce artistic, cultural and industry related works especially in an environment of open markets and free movement of goods and information. The report concludes by arguing on the inevitability of globalization and on the urgent need for Arab governments and member of the private sector to develop open-minded visions allowing the establishment of the knowledge society: guaranteeing freedom of expression, disseminating quality education, raising the status of science as well as pushing for higher R&D, and developing authentic and enlightened Arab knowledge model. (Source: http://www.undp.org/rbas/ahdr/english2003.html)

Intellectual property and SMEs: the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and the Association for Small and Medium Enterprises (WASME), hosted a four-day workshop in Geneva (October 6 to 9, 2003) on the use of intellectual property as a tool for business development. The workshop was an opportunity for participants to discuss their respective country experiences, policies and practices in using intellectual property as a strategic business tool to enhance the competitiveness of enterprises. Presentations focussed on business-related topics including IP ownership, valuation of IP assets and the role of IP in raising finance as well as general IP topics covering patents, trademarks, copyright, IP enforcement and collective management. The International Trade Centre (ITC) and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) who have strong interest in SME development were also represented. It is the first in a series of events organized by WIPO's Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) Division and WASME to promote the use of the intellectual property system by SMEs and SME support institutions. SMEs are a highly dynamic and economically important sector contributing more than 90% of the gross national product (GNP) of many countries. Presentations are available at the website of the SMEs Division at www.wipo.int/sme. WIPO and WASME are planning a second workshop in March 2004. (Source: WIPO press communiqué)

Internet uptake in OECD countries: this organization’s most recent Science, Technology and Industry Scoreboard revealed interesting data regarding Internet penetration in the thirty member economies. The Scoreboard, put together every two years, presents a wide range of indicators regarding knowledge intensity in these countries, in particular with regards to research and development and the development of information and communication technologies (ICT). In many OECD countries, the Scoreboard notes, small and medium businesses with 10 or more employees use the Internet. Two-third of these enterprises in Finland, Denmark, Canada and Sweden have web sites. Broadband company uptake has increased widely in Korea, Canada, Sweden and Denmark while Italy and Greece companies still lag in adopting high speed Internet. Electronic commerce is growing but remains small in most OECD countries. Internet sales for that matter range between 0,3% and 3,8% of total sales. Another interesting information has to do with Internet sites per person with Germany in the lead with almost 85 sites per 1000 inhabitants followed by Denmark and Norway (72 and 66 sites per 1000). On the household side, data on Internet access by such entities show that Internet access is greater in households with children that in households without. For Scoreboard details see l

Broadband Driving Growth: such is the title of another OECD question and answer document coming out from the study-prolific Directorate for Science, Technology and Industry Paris-based organization. Four issues were raised: the importance of broadband, the nature of broadband, the guiding principles for broadband development and the needed action areas. The OECD defines broadband as a “set of digital communications technologies with the capacity to transmit significant amounts of data at a high rate, supporting the delivery of a range of digital services”. The Organization believes that broadband will enable the private sector for example to develop e-business and new market opportunities, “allowing firms, including SME to realize growth through productivity increases stemming from improved information exchange, value chain transformation, and process efficiency”. Principles upon which countries can rest the development of a broadband network require, among others and again according to the OECD, competition and liberalization in infrastructure, network services and applications, increased investments in new technologies, content and applications, the importance of the private sector in the expansion of coverage and the use of broadband and access on fair terms and at competitive prices to all communities. Finally actions should include the production of digital content and services by both public and private sector organizations in order to increase demand for broadband, greater uptake by governments of broadband applications and services, more work toward a higher level of trust, security, privacy and consumer protection, greater focus on delivering real broadband solutions in education, healthcare and government information services. (Source: OECD, DSTI/ICCP(2003)/13/Final)

September 2003

The Multimedia World Watch (M2W), an organization of FIAM, and the International Society on Virtual Systems and Multimedia (VSMM) are collaborating during VSMM’s upcoming 9th International Conference on Virtual Systems and Multimedia. The world-famous event is to be held for the first time in Canadian soil (Montreal), from October 15th to the 17th. VSMM will host over 300 participants from 30 countries in the Science Center of Montreal, the Old Port section of the city. The conference is presented by the International Society on Virtual systems and Multimedia of Gifu Japan, the Hexagram Institute (www.hexagram.org) based in Montreal and various other partner organizations. It will showcase international experts in the field of Virtual Systems (VR) and Multimedia from all corners of the world. These experts will share the results of their research and commercial developments and bring new opportunities for the regional and local community. This year’s event is entitled Hybrid Reality: Art, Technology and the Human Factor. Major themes include virtual reality (VR), virtual heritage, cyber-anthropology, media arts and creative technologies, human-centred design issues enhanced environments and performance, enhanced environments and mobility, technology transfer and commercialization and VR and developing countries. For more information on VSMM, please see http://www.vsmm.org/2003/

In a recent newsletter on Intellectual property and business, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) asked itself the value of IP and how to establish its financial worth. For those multimedia and digital content producers holding on to an intangible assets such as IP, it is of interest to know the various mathematical approaches to establish that elusive price. According to the study, IP assets are usually hard to establish but there are a several tools one can use. First, the Income Approach looks at ‘ the income producing capability of the underlying IP asset’ and can be used to evaluate patents, trademarks and copyrights. Using this approach, one estimates the present value of a stream of revenues originating from the use of such IP during its economic life. The second approach is the Market Approach which is based on ‘comparing the value of sales of earlier similar or comparable IP assets in the market’. However, this approach is seldom used because there is rarely a market where it is easy to find appropriate market information for similar IP assets being actively traded. The third approach is the Cost Approach. It attempts to establish the value of an IP asset by ‘calculating the cost that the company would incur if it were to develop a similar asset either internally or acquire it externally’. Otherwise, if finance is really your cup of tea, then the emerging trend of using a derivative of the Black-Scholes options pricing model is for the taking. This model treats IP assets, in particular patents, as options treated in the capital market. For more information on theses approaches, please see WIPO Magazine/Sept-Oct. 2003.

August 2003

FIAM to set up an international Technical Action Group (TaG): the Federation is organizing this working committee for the purpose of developing and presenting a common industry position on particular issues related to intellectual property (IP) and copyrights. The TaG IP is presided by Matthew Hall of the Australian Interactive multimedia industry association and is composed of association members and industry experts worldwide (see list of participants). Multimedia and interactive digital content (MIDC) producers have been arguing that current distribution and copyright conditions are not fully conducive to creating original digital content for the web and other platforms. This is an important issue for FIAM member associations whose mandate, very often, is to strengthen the economic viability of regional and national Multimedia and Interactive Digital Content (MIDC) industries, especially with regards to the provision of diverse and quality digital content in smaller markets. Strengthening the capabilities of MIDC industries to deliver such products means in part establishing a conducive legal (rights) environment and giving the MIDC enterprise, usually a Small and Medium Enterprise (SME), the appropriate tools to create, produce and market original digital content. This TaG will concern itself with an important aspect of this equation, the legal issues behind the production of multimedia content and in particular copyright and related rights. Three streams will be analyzed : the copyright chain, the issue of cost and the environment for creativity. For more information on the TaG, please visit FIAM website at (www.fiam.org) or communicate with Nasser Boumenna (nboumenna@fiam.org) or Matthew Hall (Matthew.Hall@phillipsfox.com).

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Do international industry classification systems in existence today paint an accurate picture of how the MIDC industry is being accounted for? This important industry issue is the focus of FIAM for the forthcoming year, in collaboration with member associations, industry experts and relevant classification organizations. Most notable classification systems include the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), the European Standard Classification System (NACE) and the United Nations’ International Standard Industry Classification System (ISIC). These systems are currently under review with revision dates set for 2007. FIAM would like to take this opportunity to provide fresh input into the process and discuss innovative ways of representing the MIDC industry in the various international classification systems. For the time being, MIDC activities (input and output) are clearly not well identified in the various systems, balkanized one might say in several industry sectors. This is making it difficult for multimedia enterprises to demonstrate the real weight and potential of the industry to their own governments and private sector financial partners. How can we improve on the current classification system? What MIDC activities can be added to the current lists? How can we better identify digital content activities per se from the larger IT sector? How can we improve on the current ‘information sector’ as defined in NAICS 2002 for exemple? These are some of the issues FIAM will look into in this exercise. The Federation will initiate this work by providing by early September 2003 to all interested participants a discussion paper identifying all relevant issues and a working group will be set up this fall to take the issue further. For more information, please communicate with Nasser Boumenna at nboumenna@fiam.org

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FIAM is readying itself for PrepCom3 (September 15-26), the last of three preparatory meetings leading to the World Summit on the Information Society to be held in Geneva, Dec 10-12, 2003. This summer, the WSIS secretariat scheduled a meeting called Inter-session period event in Paris, July 15-18, 2003, at the offices of UNESCO. The Inter-session focused on refining the working documents for the Draft Declaration of Principles and Draft Action Plan (see www.itu.int/wsis/ for new versions of these documents). During the upcoming PrepCom3 FIAM will participate in the elaboration of what should be the final version of the above-mentioned documents before they are to be presented as such in December 2003. FIAM issued a White Paper to WSIS in December 2002 identifying four major issues of concern: a) ensuring the production of digital content that is original, diverse and localized, b) governmental sustained effort to integrate digital technologies through strong e-government initiatives, c) appropriate education and training in digital technologies and applications and d) intellectual property frameworks that balance the interests of producers and consumers of digital content alike. For more information on FIAM and WSIS, please contact Nasser Boumenna at nboumenna@fiam.org

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The Federation is also happy to announce that it is joining the World Summit Awards (WSA), a three-year project held in the spirit and framework of and in cooperation with the World Summit on the Information Society 2003-2005. WSA concerns itself with the issues of creativity and quality digital content production and promotion, issues that are taking increasing importance in the WSIS discussions and debates, not to mention in the Declaration of principle and Action plan. FIAM joins WSA convinced of the need to push digital content issues to the current WSIS emphasis on IT infrastructure, access and the digital divide. The WSA represents a wide array of digital content organizations and involves representatives from numerous countries on each continent. The Award project provides a mechanism for selecting and promoting the best quality e-content worldwide and considers the narrowing of the content gap and reducing the digital divide as a key goal. WSA has issued a call for nominations for the its Expert Panel ‘03 (deadline August 24) and is asking pertinent organizations and individuals to present candidates of their choice. These candidates will act as exclusive national experts for WSA ’03. For more information on WSA, see www.wsis-award.org or email at wsis-award@icnm.net

June 2003

The World Bank, through its InfoDev Program, released early this year a comprehensive study entitled The Global Information Technology Report discussing the network readiness of 82 countries – readiness meaning here ‘how prepared an economy is to capture the benefits of technology to promote economic growth and productivity’. The Report argues that information and communication technologies (ICT) remain among the most powerful engines of growth. The report answers a common demand these past few years to establish performance benchmarks and indicators that monitor progress in networked readiness. You will find in this Report essays, country profiles and data tables. There is also a ranking of countries (Finland is number one in network readiness) based on the relationship between network readiness and key variables such as GDP, ICT expenditure and Internet usage. In fact the Report brings together different arguments that have been put forward over the past few years at the World Bank but also within other international circles. Emphasis is placed on ‘appropriate’ and effective policy frameworks, market conditions, regulatory framework and the network infrastructure. Other elements include the role of governments in leading and facilitating change regarding ICT adoption by public and private sector adoption as well the realization by individuals and the business sector that ICT can increase productivity in daily and economic activities. Parts of the study can be downloaded from the InfoDev website http://www.infodev.org.

OECD: the Organization member countries have agreed to tackle the growing issue of cross-border fraudulent and deceptive practices, particularly on the Internet by publishing a Guidelines document outlining different possibilities and approaches to protect consumers. The Guidelines, which you can find at http://www.oecd.org/sti/crossborderfraud, is a response to concerns stemming from the ever more present globalization trends in trade and technology that allows for unprecedented access to new products, services, information, and markets to consumers. We have all received in our mailboxes fraudulent spam, pyramid and lottery schemes, travel and credit-related ploys and other high-tech scams, all examples of the types of frauds perpetrated across national borders. These practices are negatively affecting people’s confidence in the Internet and e-commerce as well as harming legitimate businesses. According to OECD studies, ‘Cross-border fraud operators strike quickly, victimise thousands of consumers in a short period of time and then disappear along with the proceeds of their frauds. They are able to escape prosecution in many cases because of the limited ability of law enforcement agencies to pursue them across national boundaries or share evidence with other national agencies. Moreover, court-ordered remedies prohibiting fraud operators from engaging in certain conduct generally are ineffective across borders’.

The Guidelines will allow for closer private and public sector cooperation to stop and prevent cross-border problems more effectively and give more teeth to consumer protection enforcement agencies in addition to setting forth ‘broad principles for international co-operation and specific provisions covering notification, information sharing, and assistance with investigations’.

May 2003

FIAM extends call for candidacy for summit 2004
The Federation has issued last month a call for candidacies for its next Internet and multimedia summit to be held next year. The deadline for presenting a letter of intent was set for June 1st, 2003 but due to specific association requests, this date has been extended to July 15, 2003. The 4th World Summit on Internet and Multimedia will tackle issues related to the multimedia industry at large and will be respond to matters specific to the development of the industry in the host country and region. As described in the Call For Candidacies, Summit 2004 can be held jointly with a Trade Show or other Exhibition (existing or original) in order to give multimedia and digital content producing companies and suppliers an efficient business platform. Summit 2004 is a great opportunity for Associations who want to take a stand on the International scene on specific industry issues as well as welcome in their country other associations and companies wishing to develop business relations and partnerships. The Federation has held three World Summits on Internet and Multimedia since 1999. The first in Montreal which dealt with Multimedia convergence, the second in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on the theme of Cultural and linguistic Diversity in 2001, and the last one in Montreux, Switzerland, on the issues of the Digital Divide in October 2002. For more information on the call for candidacies, please see this document.

The World Summit on the Information Society
Following the Geneva-held PrepCom2 in February 2003, the World Summit on the Information Society continues its cycle of meetings with an Intersessional Period event, this time in Paris, July 15-18, 2003, at UNESCO offices. The Intersessional Period is being held between PrepCom-2 and PrepCom-3 (September 2003) and will focus on refining the working documents for the Draft Declaration of Principles and Draft Action Plan. FIAM was represented in Geneva for PrepCom2 by Board Vice-President and Secretary-General of SwissMedia and Director of Content and Strategic Development, Nasser Boumenna. The Federation has issued a White Paper sent to WSIS in December 2002 specific positions as to the role of our industry in the new information society. Four major issues were brought out: digital content that is original, diverse and localized, governmental sustained effort to integrate digital technologies through strong e-government initiatives, consistent and first-class education and training in digital technologies and applications and intellectual property laws that seek a balance between producers and consumers of digital content. For more information on FIAM and WSIS, please contact Nasser Boumenna at nboumenna@fiam.org

April 2003

FIAM is happy to welcome a new South American association member to our growing family: La Red Cientifica Peruana (RCP). RCP is Peru’s leading organization for the promotion and use of digital technologies and a pioneer in the country’s development of Internet. RCP has been and continues to be instrumental in bridging the digital divide within Peru. RCP is headed by Board President, Eduardo Toledo Gonzáles and Executive Director, Eduardo Santoyo. We at FIAM look forward to a long term collaboration with RCP in promoting the multimedia industry worldwide. Welcome to FIAM.

FIAM President, Hervé Fischer, just published in March, CyberPromethée, his third instalment on the challenges facing humankind with the advent of the digital age in the lives of human beings. According to Hervé Fischer, there is a constant battle that is waged by mankind in its effort to control nature since learning the mastery of fire (the Prometheus syndrome). Prometheus represents man’s power instinct as the antonymous classical couple, Eros and Thanatos, represented the Freudian instincts of life and death. Cyber-Prometheus is the technological pendant of that power instinct thanks to the exponential capabilities allowed by digital technologies. For Mr. Fischer, human beings are walking a slippery slope between the real and the virtual, always searching for the right balance between technology’s capacity to improve our lives and that of alienating us from others. For more insight on his latest book, Hervé Fischer has answered a few questions in this interview (in french only) http://www.editions.org/editionshtml/vlbfischer.htm

On the M2W Front: The Multimedia World Watch (www.m2w.org) is sinking its teeth on the complex issue of how to guarantee the perenniality or long-term sustainability of online and offline digital content. The issue will be looked at from a business model and technological perspective and will seek to provide answers to public and private sector organizations currently involved in the development, production and promotion of such content. Technological aspects include issues of migration, standards and emulation of digital content while business models aspects refer to current or emerging models that realistically ascertain and extend the lifecycle of the rich and varied digital content on the web and offline. For more information : info2m@o2m.org

March 2003

The Multimedia World Watch (M2W), an organization of FIAM, is taking part in the organization of the 9th International Society on Virtual Systems and Multimedia (VSMM) conference to be held in Montreal, Canada, October 15-17, 2003. This year’s event is organized by the Montreal-based Hexagram consortium (www.hexagram.org) and is entitled Hybrid Reality: Art, Technology and the Human Factor. Major themes include virtual reality (VR), virtual heritage, cyber-anthropology, media arts and creative technologies, human-centred design issues enhanced environments and performance, enhanced environments and mobility, technology transfer and commercialization and VR and developing countries. At this stage, VSMM is issuing a call for papers and those interested have until June 30, 2003 to submit original and unpublished work. For more information on VSMM, please see http://www.vsmm.org/2003/

FIAM is joining the Multimedia Market of the Americas (MMA) for the third time by organizing the Quebec delegation traveling to IT@americas, to be held in Tijuana, Mexico, May 20-23, 2003. MMA acts as a platform for the promotion of new business relationships between IT and multimedia companies between South America and Canada. MMA promotes and strengthens international trade between companies producing software, multimedia and ICT at the continental levels. The event is sponsored by the National Chamber of the Industry of Electronics Telecommunications and Information Technologies (CANIETI) and the Quebec Council for Latin America from Montreal (Canada) who will be joining forces to promote partnerships between Mexican and Canadian organizations as well as with other Latin American enterprises in the Multimedia and Software sectors. IT@americas will include business meetings (matchmaking), seminars, workshops, conferences and an exhibition. For more information, please see www.tiamericas2003.com.

This month’s interview: his name is David O’Sullivan. He is secretary general of the European Commission since June 2000 and he will discuss the Commission’s and the Information Society. This interview is kindly provided to FIAM by California-based Centre for Digital Government, a national research and advisory institute providing government and industry leaders with decision support, research and education services to help them effectively incorporate new technologies in the 21st century.

February 2003

FIAM attends PrepCom2 (February 2003)
FIAM will indeed be in Geneva, February 17-28, for the second PrepCom of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), represented by Board Vice-President and Secretary-General of SwissMedia and Director of Content and Strategic Development, Nasser Boumenna. It is during this PrepCom that WSIS will be elaborating the first Declaration of Principles and Action Plan to be presented at the plenipotentiary December meeting. The Federation has stated in a white paper sent to WSIS in December 2002 specific positions as to the role of our industry in the new information society. Four major issues were brought out: digital content that is original, diverse and localized, governmental sustained effort to integrate digital technologies through strong e-government initiatives, consistent and first-class education and training in digital technologies and applications and intellectual property laws that seek a balance between producers and consumers of digital content. For a detailed look at the document, please see this site. For any other question, please contact Nasser Boumenna at nboumenna@fiam.org

WIPO to organize in April large Intellectual Property summit in China (February 2003)
The World Intellectual Property Organization is holding April 24-26, in Beijing, the World Summit on Intellectual Property and the knowledge Economy. The issues to be discussed centre on the importance of creativity and innovation in the economic and social development of society at large. How should intellectual property respond to the challenges posed by societies ever more driven by the demands of knowledge-based and innovation-driven economies? How will intellectual property provide ‘an incentive for enterprises and individuals to create and innovate’. To answer these questions, the organizers of the summit are defending the notion of a intellectual property culture that acts as a tool and serves the needs for economic, social and cultural Development. Developing this argument, the UN organization published very recently a book entitled "Intellectual Property: A Power Tool for Economic Growth" that is a roadmap of how countries can use the intellectual property system to take full advantage of such assets as inventiveness, creativity and knowledge to promote economic development. In addition to presenting a history of Intellectual property and of the different existing Conventions, the book analyzes the importance of the patent system to businesses in all countries – from multinationals to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). For more information on the China WIPO summit and the new publication see http://www.wipo.int/summit-china/en/index.html and www.wipo.int/ebookshop

European Commission issues working document on open platforms in digital TV and 3G communications (February 2003)
Starting on the premise that ‘widespread access by all citizens to new services and applications of the information society’ is a main goal of the UE, the report argues for a multi-platform approach to deliver rich digital content. Digital Television (DTV) and Third Generation (3G) are the platforms of choice and Internet, the favoured delivery mechanism. The Commission would like digital communication platforms to be open for greater user choice and interoperability. This is not the case currently for both DTV and 3G, in particular for the Application Program Interfaces (API) used in set-top boxes and 3G mobile handsets. The Commission is therefore pushing for cooperation between broadcasters and manufacturers of digital interactive TV in order to promote the use of the open API standard, the Multi-media Home Platform (MHP). In addition to the issue of ‘openness’ of 3G and DTV platforms, the report argues for the development of attractive consumer services, the creation of secure environments, regulatory clarity for electronic services and respect for cultural diversity. More information can be found here.

January 2003

FIAM contributes to WSIS 2003, issues position paper (January 2003)
During the closing conference of Montreux 2002. Mr. Pierre GAGNÉ, Executive Director of the World Summit on the Information Society, invited FIAM and its associations to participate in the work of WSIS and present the Multimedia industry role and initiatives in fostering and promoting greater access and use of localized and culturally relevant digital content. This issue is of major importance to the overall premise of WSIS which will look at ICTs revolutionizing effects on society at large and on how to ensure that information technology is used to the benefit of all. A working committee of FIAM Association members worked on a position paper that spells out current and future initiatives the Associations worldwide are or will be involved in, particularly with regards to digital content production, awareness of new technologies, e-government initiatives, skilled employment opportunities and intellectual property.

Officicial Action Plan to be unveiled in January (January 2003)
You can find a power-point summary document of the association questionnaire responses to our action plan exercise. This summary document presents data regarding the associations themselves but also the association's opinions as to the Federation's mandate and future objectives. In January, a detailed action plan will be posted on our website for general information. You can reach Nasser Boumenna for further information.

Montreux 2002 : an Overview (January 2003)
The Montreux Summit is over but you can get a general report on what has been said and done on FIAM website and invite you to check the following links. We have two reports, a general session by session report and an overall summary of the event. The speakers presentations can also be found here.

UNCTAD issues E-commerce and Development report 2002 (January 2003)
UNCTAD released last month its E-Commerce and Development Report 2002 (EDR 2002) and FIAM is happy to provide you with a summary of the findings as well as input on what multimedia associations can gather from this document. You can also find more information regarding e-commerce issues on FIAM website under UNCTAD.

New Statistics from the OECD (January 2003)
The latest from analysis-prone OECD is a comprehensive report entitled Measuring the Information Economy 2002. For those interested in statistics and trends regarding ICT in general, you will find this latest study quite informative. The document looks at OECD countries mostly but the results are valuable to all. Some of the issues dealt with include how OECD countries are embracing the information economy, what is the size and growth of the ICT sector and its contribution to economic performance, whether businesses and individuals use new technologies and for what purpose, what is the volume of electronic commerce and the barriers to its take-off. The report presents over 80 indicators based on the most up-to-date official statistics that provide a comprehensive international comparison of countries' performance in the information economy. New indicators address emerging policy issues: international differences in the quality and price of the ICT infrastructure, diffusion of Internet technologies in larger and smaller firms, relative size of cross-border electronic transactions, barriers to Internet commerce.