The Foreign Service Journal, April 2003

tual property rights agreement made intellectual property rights an impor- tant issue for developing countries ( www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/tr ips_e/trips_e.htm#issues ). T RIPS requires member countries to adopt international standards for the protec- tion of intellectual property rights, or face sanctions and other penalties. Developing countries have protest- ed that the cost of developing intellec- tual property protection systems is an unfair burden, and that the agree- ment favors wealthy nations. Poor WTO member nations also argue that they need cheap generic copies of patented drugs, which violate TRIPS, to cope with the AIDS epidemic and other health problems. President Bush touched on the issue, during his State of the Union address in January, when he quoted a frustrated rural South African doctor unable to provide his AIDS patients with anti- retroviral drugs. Recent talks have focused on patent exemptions for countries, such as India, which produce generic drugs. WIPO represents drug com- panies and other intellectual property owners, and argues that protection of intellectual property is vital for healthy economies. WIPO also says that intellectual property rights will help poor countries develop their economies by rewarding homegrown innovation. There are a number of excellent Internet resources on this complex international issue. For a general IPR overview, the Department of State’s International Information Program Web site is a good place to start ( www.usinfo.state.gov/topical/ econ/ipr ). T he site’s IPR page offers news, fact sheets and links to relevant U.S. government and legal docu- ments. A page titled “Introduction to Intellectual Property Rights” features various perspectives, more links and a glossary of terms ( http://usinfo. state.gov/products/pubs/intelprp/ ). The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office provides an authoritative gate- way to the U.S. intellectual property system ( www.uspto.gov ); it s hould be the first stopping point for anyone with bright ideas, and is useful for those just A P R I L 2 0 0 3 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 11 C YBERNOTES Web Site of the Month: Magnum Photos Let the right side of your brain take over and visit the Magnum Photos Web site for an enjoyable and enlightening experience of stories told with high-qual- ity pictures ( www.magnumphotos.com ). Since 1947, Magnum photographers have covered life and death around the globe. The co-operative agency was founded by four photographers, Robert Capa, Henri Cartier-Bresson, George Rodger, and David “Chim” Seymour, who wanted to record the world after the war. In the process, they advanced what we now know as photo-journalism. Today Magnum provides photos to the press, publishers, advertising, televi- sion, galleries and museums from its offices in New York, London, Paris and Tokyo, and more than 200,000 of their images are available online. That part of the Web site is strictly commercial. But, if your interest is of an educational or vocational nature, you are still free to browse the information pages, books, fea- tures, exhibitions, and photographer biographies and portfolios — and there is plenty there for the casual viewer. Clicking on the “Features” link at the top of the homepage will connect you to photo-essays such as “Stalin in Georgia,” a black-and-white view into the world of modern-day Stalinist cults in the dictator’s native Georgia, by Thomas Dworzak. “In my opinion the Georgian cult of Stalin is foremost a expression of nationalist pride, even though Georgians have suffered repressions by the Stalinist regime as much as other Soviet countries,” Dworzak says in his intro- duction to the piece. Other essays include the “The Nonconformists: The Mennonites of Bolivia,” by Larry Towell, “AIDS in India, 2002,” by Alex Majoli and “Demonstration Against War with Iraq,” by Chris Steele-Perkins. These titles give the impression that heavy issues are typical Magnum fare, but the going is not always so serious. “127th Westminster Dog Show,” by Bruce Gilden provides light relief through 27 well-taken photos. There are approximately 30 feature pieces to chose from, each accompanied by a short article explaining the story. Users can view the photos as a slide show, or in thumbnail sketches, which can be enlarged by clicking on the image. — Stephen E. Mather, Editorial Intern