Open Education Week: March 10-15

Open Education Week is a celebration of the global Open Education Movement. Its purpose is to raise awareness about the movement and its impact on teaching and learning worldwide. Participation in all events and use of all resources are free and open to everyone. The third annual Open Education Week takes place from March 10-15, with both online and locally hosted events around the world. For more info, see openeducationweek.org.

The Privatization of Copyright Enforcement: the Brazilian Context

[Pedro Mizukami] After years demanding stronger public sector response to copyright infringement, IP industries have now shifted to the strategy of forcing governments to assume the role of facilitators in agreements between private parties. In Brazil, this tendency is clearly noticeable in industry demands related to copyright enforcement in the digital environment within the National Council on Combating Piracy (CNCP, Conselho Nacional de Combate à Pirataria). Click here for more.

European Copyright Society Response to the Public Consultation on the EC Copyright Review

[Christophe Geiger] Earlier this week, the European Copyright Society has issued its response to the Public consultation on the review of the EU copyright rules of the European Commission. The European Copyright Society (ECS) was founded in January 2012 with the aim of creating a platform for critical and independent scholarly thinking on European Copyright Law. Its members are renowned scholars and academics from various countries of Europe, seeking to promote their views of the overall public interest regarding the construction of European Copyright law. Click here for more.

See also:  Electronic Information for Libraries’ Seven Point Plan to the European Commission. (Link)

South Centre Statement on U.S. Attacks on Indian Intellectual Property Policy

[South Centre] The South Centre is deeply concerned that developing countries, and more recently the government of India, are facing increasing pressure from the United States of America to reform their intellectual property (IP) laws. The Indian IP laws include balanced provisions to ensure that IP rights do not hinder the ability of the government to adopt measures for promoting development priorities, particularly in the area of public health. These are fully in line with the TRIPS Agreement and   reaffirmed by the Doha Declaration on TRIPS and Public Health. Click here for more.

New Booklet – Human Rights and Privatised Law Enforcement

[Joe McNamee] Our latest booklet is now online!   The document looks at the extent to which “voluntary” law enforcement measures by online companies are serving to undermine long-established fundamental rights principles and much of the democratic value of the internet. Unquestionably, the successful campaigns against SOPA and ACTA demonstrate the democratic potential of the internet. Sharing of information over social media, online blackout protests, etc., all generated a synergy which led to big demonstrations against the measures and their rejection or abandonment. But what happened then? Click here for more.

Excerpt from 2015 Obama Budget: “Open Government Assets As a Platform for Innovation and Job Creation”

[White House] By opening up Government-generated assets including data and the fruits of federally funded research and development (R&D) — such as intellectual property and scientific publications — to the public, Government can empower individuals and businesses to significantly increase the public’s return on investment in terms of innovation, job creation, and economic prosperity. Click here for more.

Cato Event Panelists Discuss Whether Or Not Intellectual Property Provisions in the TPP Are a “Corporate Handout”

[Mike Palmedo] Last week the Cato Institute held an event titled “Intellectual Property in the Trans-Pacific Partnership: National Interest or Corporate Handout?”  The panel, moderated by Cato’s Simon Lester, featured Tom Giovanetti (Institute for Policy Innovation), William Watson (Cato), and Margot Kaminski (Yale Information Society Project).  Click here for more.

Special 301 Post-Hearing Submissions:

Last Friday, post-hearing statements for the 2014 Special 301 Review were posted by USTR.  The full docket is available on regulations.gov.  Below are some of the submissions made by public interest groups and academics:

  • James Love, Knowledge Ecology International. Post-Hearing Comments. (Link)
  • Manon Ress. KEI Comments on the IIPA oral and written submission to 2014 Special 301 regarding education and research. (Link)
  • Joint comments by the Karisma Foundation, iFarma, and Mission Salud. (Link)
  • Ragavan, Flynn, and Baker. Post-hearing submission. (Link)
  • Brook Baker and Matt Kavanagh. HealthGAP Response to the PhRMA Submission. (Link)