Updated Negotiating Text of the Trans Pacific Partnership Intellectual Property Chapter Leaked
Last week, Wikileaks released a draft text of the Trans Pacific Partnership intellectual property chapter, dated May 14, 2014. This is the most up-to-date source for the text, which is kept secret by negotiators, despite numerous calls for its release. The full text is available here. Also, see comments on the text from Knowledge Ecology International, Public Citizen, Derechos Digitales, Association of Research Libraries, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Médecins Sans Frontières, HealthGAP, Michael Geist, Margot Kaminski, Sean Flynn, and Matthew Rimmer.
International Open Access Week Shines Spotlight on Increasing the Impact of Scientific Research
[SPARC] Hundreds of events will take place across the globe to highlight the power that Open Access has to increase the impact of scientific and scholarly research during the seventh annual Open Access Week taking place from October 20-26, 2014. This year’s theme of “Generation Open” highlights the important role that students and early career researchers play as advocates for change, both in the short-term through institutional and governmental policy, and also as the future of the Academy upon whom the ultimate success of the Open Access movement depends. The theme will also explore how changes in scholarly publishing affect scholars and researchers at different stages of their careers. Click here for more.
Bolivia Discusses Collective Management Issues
[Carolina Botero] In Bolivia, La Paz’s City Council is discussing the “Municipal Autonomy Bill No. 100,” which seeks to create mechanisms to ensure the protection of the public performance right of musical works via strengthening collecting society system. The draft law has generated considerable public discontent in Bolivian society because it is quite broad in powers granted to the country’s main collecting society, SOBODAYCOM. The bill seems to have a very wide scope as it suggests that to develop any musical activity in the city of La Paz hereunder the SOBODAYCOM’s authorization will be required. Click here for more.
South Africa: National Summit Demands Immediate Patent Law Reform to Bring Down Prices of Medicines
[Treatment Action Campaign] Patients, doctors and members of civil society meet today with government experts to plot a course for quickly reforming South Africa’s patent laws, so that people can access the life-saving medicines they need at affordable prices. The National Summit on Intellectual Property (IP) and Access to Medicines in Pretoria was organised by the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) which is leading the “Fix the Patents Laws’ coalition of 13 other civil society organisations. Click here for more.
Postcard from the Open Educational Resources Workshop in Porto
[Alek Tarkowski] At the very beginning of October, Creative Commons’ OER policy project organised a two-day workshop in Porto, gathering 15 Open Education enthusiasts, educators, advisors, lawyers and experts on Creative Commons licensing. Apart from representatives from CC Sweden, CC Spain, CC Poland, CC Netherlands and of course CC Portugal, we were very happy to be able to reach out to other communities and have Rob from OER Research Hub present, as well as Ana and Ricardo from Journalism++, Eduardo who is conducting a PhD on OER, and last but not least from Heitor Alvelos, creator of the Future Places festival. Click here for more.
Global Study: Citizens Want Balanced Copyright Rules
[Open Media International] Citizens from across the globe want balanced copyright rules that are shaped democratically, respect creators, and prioritize free expression. That’s the message of Our Digital Future: A Crowdsourced Agenda for Free Expression, a new report launched today by community-based OpenMedia. The overall consultation process took place over 2 years engaging 300,000 people from Australia to Vietnam. Click here for more.
India Shoots Unilateral USTR Action Down; Looks Towards Bilateral Talks
[Swaraj Paul Barooah] In a very welcome and quick response to USTR’s Special 301 Out of Cycle Review (OCR) process for India that opened for comments a couple of days ago (October 14th), the Government of India has told the American authorities that they will not be cooperating with this unilateral process… Pointing to the lack of any obligation to participate in the unilaterally held Special 301 process, Indian authorities have said that they would engage US in bi-lateral dialogue mechanisms under the new IP working group, rather than the unilateral process. Click here for more.
