How Open Is the Open Data Produced by the U.S. Government?

[Andrés Izquierdo] Although the word open might imply access, many times, it does not imply transmission, reproduction, or re-use of material, as seen currently with most government open data and recently discussed at the GovDatax event. Recent laws require the federal government to make their public data available and they encourage agencies to share information between them. Still, in practice, there is a competing group of laws that restrict access to these very same data with a bulk of copyright restrictions, publicity and privacy rights that might be applicable, as well as contract limitations that fill the restrictions gap when no other law is available. Click here for more.

Report and Webinar: Rethinking Trade Treaties & Access to Medicines

[Boston University GDP Center] The Boston University Global Development Policy Center is hosting a webinar on Wednesday, November 13 from 9-11AM to launch the latest GDP Center report Rethinking Trade Treaties and Access to Medicines: Toward a Policy-Oriented Research Agenda hosted by the Trade & Medicines Working Group. synthesizes the state of knowledge on trade and investment treaties on access to medicines and advances a policy oriented research agenda intended to help policy-makers, civil society, and others make more informed decisions as they debate contemporary trade and investment treaties. Click here for more.

Open Innovation: A QUT Research Symposium

[Matthew Rimmer] Open Innovation: A QUT Research Symposium, Presented by QUT Faculty of Law Intellectual Property and Innovation Law Research Program. Thursday, 24 October 2019 … This research symposium is dedicated to the topic of open innovation. This event will provide a focal point for Open Access Week in Brisbane, Queensland for 2019. The theme for Open Access Week is ‘Open for Whom? Equity in Open Knowledge’. Click here for more.

Library Copyright Alliance Letter to the President of South Africa

[Jonathan Band] First, IIPA asserted that South Africa’s adoption of a fair use provision based on the U.S. fair use doctrine would be problematic because South Africa “lacks the decades of legal precedent that have served to define, refine, and qualify that doctrine in the United States.” This is a truly ridiculous argument to make in 2019. Click here for more.

See also: 

  • Computer & Communications Industry Association Letter to the President of South Africa, Link. 
  • International Federation of Library Associations Letter to the President of South Africa, Link. 

The PrEP4All Collaboration Hails HHS’ Decision to File a Patent Infringement Lawsuit Against Gilead Sciences for their Use of Prep, But More Must Be Done

The decision by Health and Human Services (HHS) to sue Gilead for patent infringement on Truvada and Descovy PrEP is a critical step to provide access to effective HIV prevention to everyone who needs it. Gilead’s conduct is unconscionable and has had disastrous consequences. In the suit, HHS spells this out plainly: “Gilead’s conduct was malicious, wanton, deliberate, consciously wrongful, flagrant, and in bad faith.” Click here for more.

Article 17 Stakeholder Dialogue (Day 2): Filters, Not Licenses!

[Communia Association] On Tuesday this week the participants of the stakeholder dialogue on Article 17 of the EU copyright directive convened in Brussels for the second meeting. After a first meeting that focused on practices in the music, games and software sectors (see our report here), this week’s meeting focused on the current situation in the audiovisual (AV) and publishing sectors. Click here for more.