GENEVA (CelebrityAccess) – The World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), which is part of the United Nations, has launched a new database dubbed ‘Building Respect for Intellectual Property’ (BRIP) aimed at combating piracy.
The goal of the project is simple: allow stakeholders from WIPO member states to report problematic sites and share this list with advertisers so that they can block any bad apples. The BRIP database aims to cut revenue to pirate sites. In addition, it’s also useful to major brands who don’t want their products or services appearing on copyright-infringing websites.
According to WIPO, “the intention is to reduce the flow of money to illegal website operators, to protect brands from tarnishment and to reduce the risk that legitimate advertising may lend an appearance of legality to illegal websites, to the confusion of consumers.”
Each member state may appoint their own designated submitters who can add suspected pirate sites to the database. Additionally, local member states don’t have to set up their own blocklist systems. They can simply use the BRIP system and get going right away.
Unfortunately, the BRIP database doesn’t currently include any comprehensive information on why a site may be listed, so there is some risk of over-blocking taking place. WIPO says it will not get involved in any infringement related decisions, however, as its role is merely to administer the technical platform, to assist contributors and users, and to promote the BRIP database to a broad audience so that stakeholders from all over the world can benefit from each other’s work.
More information on the BRIP database is available HERE.
