Karsten Gerloff, Access to Knowledge in a Network Society, a Master's thesis in the Department of Language & Communication Studies / Cultural Informatics at Lüneberg University, August 3, 2006. Excerpt:
Chapter 3 starts on p. 23 by explaining the nature of knowledge as a public good
in the economic sense of the term. It then proceeds to outline two basic modes of
the regulation of knowledge: intellectual monopoly powers and commons-based
approaches. The former mode is based on exclusion, the latter on access. The
description of the knowledge commons draws heavily on the concepts of the law
scholars Yochai Benkler, Peter Drahos and James Boyle, all of which have
contributed to a better understanding of immaterial commons and the way knowledge
is produced in such an environment. A third section lays out some aspects of
the relation between intellectual monopolies and economic development....
[Chapters 5 and 6] analyse
the discussion about a development agenda for WIPO. To remedy a number of
perceived fundamental shortcomings of that organisation, Brazil and Argentina in
2004 proposed a number of measures to thoroughly reform it. They want WIPO
to better take into account the interests of developing countries and the public.
The proposal calls for a more critical and balanced approach to IMPs [intellectual monopoly powers], taking into
account not only the benefits, but also the costs of monopoly protection. This
Development Agenda Proposal started a heated debate, which is currently still in
progress....
Casting a look beyond the horizon, chapter 7 (p. 97) ponders a possible remedy
to some of these problems. A “Treaty on Access to Knowledge” is not only
mentioned in the Development Agenda Proposal. It is also a rallying point for a
considerable number of civil society organisations. This chapter will analyse some
of the structural difficulties posed by this project. It will also present a first sketch of how such a treaty may work.
Posted by
Peter Suber at 8/21/2006 08:32:00 AM.
The open access movement:
Putting peer-reviewed scientific and scholarly literature
on the internet. Making it available free of charge and
free of most copyright and licensing restrictions.
Removing the barriers to serious research.
I recommend the OA tracking project (OATP) as the best way to stay on top of new OA developments. You can read the OATP feed on a blog-like web page or subscribe to it by RSS, email, or Twitter. You can also help build the feed by tagging new developments you encounter.
