The American version of the Broadcast Flag isn't the only broadcast flag to worry about. There is an ongoing effort to get the broadcast flag put into force via treaty through WIPO. See, The Broadcast Flag Treaty - Draft Available. Well, they haven't succeeded so far, but have come up with some new sneaky tactics to get it passed: WIPO Takes Broadcasting Treaty Negotiation Outside Geneva.

The World Intellectual Property Organisation, a Geneva-based U.N. body, is holding informal, invitation-only talks on a treaty on broadcasters’ rights around the world rather than at its headquarters.

The informal gatherings are not billed as negotiations, but rather are regional consultations aimed at “increasing governments’ understanding of the 16 treaty proposals and to further promote consensus at the regional level,” according to a WIPO official who stressed that WIPO is organising the meetings at the request of the host countries.

But some WIPO member governments and accredited non-governmental organisations say they are concerned that WIPO will use the consensus it reaches informally in the regions to move the issue forward at the full multilateral level, which they say may be a tactic to dispel coordinated, cross-regional opposition among seasoned negotiators in Geneva. Many other member governments have supported the regional approach.