World Intellectual Property Day: April 26, 2007.

From the freeculture.org mailing list:

April 26, 2007 is World Intellectual Property Day, as declared by our friends at WIPO. The theme for 2007 is "Encouraging Creativity" —

http://www.wipo.int/about-ip/en/world_ip/2007/index.html

I encourage all free culture advocates to organize activities in proximity to IP Day with the theme: "Encouraging Creativity: Are We?"

Rather than a self-congratulatory pat on the back, modern intellectual property regimes deserve critical examination — and, some argue, a kick in the ass. This crucial public policy issue should invite tempered deliberation and public participation, not grandstanding and finger-wagging.

If you have a local CopyNight meet-up in your town, this would be a great theme for April. (Most CopyNights meet on the 4th Tuesday of the month, which would be April 24, just two days before IP Day.)

If not, you could organize some other event — or just get together with a group of friends at your favorite bar or cafe.

Don't forget: WIPO says, "Member States and organizations are encouraged to send brief reports of the events and activities organized in their country to celebrate World IP Day." So be sure to send them an announcement of your event. I'm sure they'll be thrilled to hear.

I'm sure we all have some marvellous ideas for this one. You have two weeks!

Disaster recovery planning.

The Wikimedia Foundation is in no danger of collapse. There's all sorts of deeply problematic things about it, but no more than at any other small charity. Situation normal all fouled up.

But it would be prudent to be quite sure that the Foundation failing — through external attack or internal meltdown — would not be ( a disaster. )

I'd like your ideas and participation here. What do we do if the Foundation breaks tomorrow?

(See also the same question on my Wikimedia blog.)

Correction: Google.org is not a 501(c)(3). So it couldn't gobble up Wikimedia directly.