The plan being opposed is called the Treaty on the Protection of Broadcasts and Broadcasting Organisations and has been proposed by the UN agency the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO). It would create a new class of IP rights designed to protect broadcasters from the theft of their TV signals.
The technology companies have signed a protest document arguing the move is "misguided and unnecessary and risks serious unintended negative consequences."
They claim that the wording of the treaty may give broadcasters wide-ranging rights over internet content.
