Australian Competition Policy Review: Excerpt on Intellectual Property and International Trade Agreements
[Excerpt from draft report] …As a net importer of IP, and likely to remain so, our ability to access IP protected by rights granted in other countries will be important to ensure that Australia can reap the benefits of the digital economy. That said, it is also important that commitments regarding the extent of IP protection in Australia are based on the best interests of Australians and these should be established through an independent cost-benefit analysis. Click here for more.
President Obama Commits to Promote Open Educational Resources
[Creative Commons-USA] Last week, President Obama spoke at the United Nations Open Government Partnership, where he described his Administration’s efforts to “open up government data to fuel entrepreneurship and economic growth, modernize our Freedom of Information Act with input from experts, and harness American ingenuity to solve important problems.” During his speech he made a new commitment to “promote open educational resources to help teachers and students everywhere.” Click here for more.
Copyright and the Architecture of Digital Delivery
[Dan Burk] Copyright law is largely a response to new media: from the printing press through radio, photocopiers, and digital computers, changes in copyright reflect the increased public availability of information reproduction technologies. But while the exclusive rights conferred by copyright are shaped by the technologies they respond to, the opposite is also true: technology is shaped in response to the requirements of copyright, altering or innovating designs to either avoid or accommodate the demands of the law. Click here for more.
Effect of Piracy on Adoption of Technological Innovation
[Vibhanshu Abhishek, Rahul Telang, and Yi Zhang] Abstract: Advances in technology have enabled producers of entertainment goods to reach customers in innovative ways. However, new technologies also make it easier for users to infringe on the content. Producers argue that piracy hurts their ability to innovate, while critics argue that piracy acts as a leveler and encourages consumer friendly innovation. In this paper, we explore the interplay of piracy and technology adoption based on a dynamic model. Click here for more.
WIPO, WTO, and WHO to Hold Joint Event on Medical Technologies in Middle-Income Countries
[Joint press release] This fourth trilateral technical symposium will look at some of the opportunities and challenges in middle-income countries. While they are catching up in the area of biomedical innovation and industrial development, they are also facing challenges in ensuring access to innovative health products for their populations. Among others issues, the symposium will discuss: why rating countries solely according to their incomes does not reflect the public health situation for the majority of the poor; which public policies are available to ensure economic growth helps achieve universal health coverage; and how to promote innovation while ensuring access to new products. Click here for more.
Webcast of Sep 24: Plain Packaging for the Pacific Rim – The Trans-Pacific Partnership and Tobacco Control
Last week, Australia National University Professor Matthew Rimmer gave a lecture at American University, in which he argued that Big Tobacco has been engaged in a dark, shadowy plot and conspiracy to hijack the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) and undermine tobacco control measures – such as graphic health warnings and the plain packaging of tobacco products. American University law professor Christine Farley spoke as a commenter. Click here to view the webcast.
