RedLatAm – Surveying Digital Rights in Latin America
Derechos Digitales and AccessNow have launched RedLatAm, a new website that describes the changing landscape of digital rights in Latin America. It includes country-by-country information on laws and legislation concerning intellectual property, personal data protection, network neutrality, and computer crime. The report (in Spanish) is available at https://redlatam.org/es
Open Access Legislation in Mexico Signed by President Enrique Peña Nieto
[Mike Palmdo] Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto has signed legislation to allow free access to scientific and academic works made possible by public funding. According to the President’s statement, the legislation will “create the National Repository of Open Access to Scientific Information Resources, Technology and Innovation, Quality and Social and Cultural Interest, which will be available for the whole society.” Click here for more.
Launch of the Open Policy Network
[Timothy Vollmer] Today we’re excited to announce the launch of the Open Policy Network. The Open Policy Network, or OPN for short, is a coalition of organizations and individuals working to support the creation, adoption, and implementation of policies that require that publicly funded resources are openly licensed resources. Click here for more.
CRS Research Shows How Rare Public Trade Advisory Meetings Are
[Sean Flynn] Last week, USTR announced that it was closing a “partially open” meeting of the Industry Trade Advisory Committee on Small and Minority Business. No reason was given for the closing of the meeting. But this led an office in Congress to request the Congressional Research Service to find out just how many open meetings of the ITACs there have been. The answer: Since 2004, there have been 13 “partially open” meetings of ITACS. Oddly, all but one of the open meetings were of the small and minority business committee. Click here for more.
Authors Alliance Announces Principles and Proposals for Copyright Reform
[Authors Alliance] In conjunction with its public launch, the Authors Alliance has announced its Principles and Proposals for Copyright Reform. This document outlines the Authors Alliance vision for a copyright reform effort that would work for authors who write to be read. The Principles and Proposals identify key ways in which copyright law can better serve its constitutional mission of furthering knowledge or the “Progress of Science.” “Promoting the Progress of Science is what our members do on a daily basis,” says Authors Alliance founder Pamela Samuelson. “So we should help shape copyright law to ensure it serves this constitutional goal.” Click here for the Proposals.
When ISPs Become Copyright Police
[Rebecca Giblin] What happens when ISPs become copyright police? This paper provides a snapshot of the evidence around the world and suggests there is very little to suggest ISP policing or ‘graduated responses’ help achieve copyright’s aims. Since 2007, many of the world’s most powerful copyright holders have been lobbying governments to require ISPs to police users’ copyright infringements. Laws that require ISPs to act as copyright police against their users are often referred to as ‘graduated responses’ or ‘three strikes’ because the consequences typically become more serious as a user receives more allegations of infringement. In some jurisdictions, this can potentially culminate in termination of Internet access. Indeed, IFPI stated in 2007 that ‘Disconnection of service for serious infringers should become the speeding fine or the parking ticket of ISP networks.’ It has also declared that “ISP cooperation, via systematic disconnection of infringers and the use of filtering technologies, is the most effective way copyright theft can be controlled. Click here for the full paper on SSRN.
Inter-American Commission on Human Rights Report: Freedom of Expression on the Internet
[Mike Palmedo] Last December, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression published the report Freedom of Expression on the Internet. The report, authored by Catalina Botero Marino, warned that copyright protection “cannot be pursued in a way that chills creativity or the free exchange of information on the Internet.” It specifically warns against intermediary liability, non-judicial processes of notice and termination, disconnection of users from the internet, and unreasonable penalties in cases of civil liability. Click here for more.
