[Sigiii-l] [Fwd: [bridges.org news] announcement / ipr-ict email discussion (e-debate)]]
Michel J. Menou
Michel.Menou at wanadoo.fr
Mon Jul 18 09:18:36 EDT 2005
INVITATION / ANNOUNCEMENT
Email discussion list (e-debate)
“Intellectual property rights: issues for Africa in the information
society”
20 July – 21 August 2005
The goal of this four-week long email discussion is to raise
awareness of critical issues around intellectual property rights
(IPR) for Africa, to provide an overview of the existing legal
processes and tools, to discuss alternatives to the current
situation, and to facilitate exchange and collaboration between
individuals and organisations working in this field. Based on the
discussion, a short summary report -- including a number of
recommended activities -- will be prepared in English and French.
The discussion is a joint project of the Center for International ICT
Policy for West and Central Africa (CIPACO, supported by Panos
Institute West Africa Project) and the Collaboration for
International ICT Policy in East and Southern Africa (CIPESA, a
programme of bridges.org). CIPACO and CIPESA are supported by the
Catalysing Access to ICT in Africa (CATIA) Initiative of the UK
Department for International Development.
The discussion is conducted with expert co-moderators from a range of
organisations, including the Consumer Project on Technology and the
Electronic Frontier Foundation.
The discussion will be hosted at: http://www.cipaco.org/rubrique.php3?
id_rubrique=34&lang=en
DATES
The discussion will run from Wednesday 20 July - Sunday 21 August 2005
TOPICS
Week 1 (20 - 26 July): General overview -- what is at stake for Africa?
General overview of IPR in the information society; the traditional
role of copyright and patents; issues in developing countries; pros
and cons of IPR enforcement for developing countries.
Week 2 (27 July - 2 August): International IPR mechanisms
Introduction and discussion of existing legal instruments and
relevant organisations, including WTO TRIPS, TRIPS Plus, WIPO
Internet Treaties, Free Trade Agreements that include IPR, etc.
Week 3 (3 - 9 August): Applications of IPR in Africa
Free/Open Source Software; digital rights management (DRM); learning
materials; protection of local content and indigenous knowledge;
relevance and use of IPR laws for local creative industries, etc.
Week 4 (10 - 16 August): Alternatives to the existing IPR regimes
Copyleft -- turning copyright upside down; Creative Commons and other
open access initiatives; WIPO development agenda and Geneva
Declaration; the impact of IPR infringement.
Week 5 (17 - 21 August): Wrap up, conclusions and recommendations
Discussion of what action can be taken with regard to national,
regional and international IPR policy.
TARGET GROUP
The discussion is open to the public and free of charge. A wide range
of individuals and organisations is encouraged to contribute,
including: policy-makers and their advisors, academics, private
sector representatives from entertainment and creative industries,
artists, journalists, lawyers, and the general public interested in
IPR issues in Africa.
Participants are encouraged to use the recommended reading list (that
will be provided online) to achieve a basic understanding of IPR
prior to the discussion. No other preparation is necessary.
DISCUSSION IN FRENCH AND ENGLISH
To encourage collaboration and exchange across language and regional
boundaries in Africa, the discussion will be conducted in French and
English simultaneously.
* Translations or summaries of “important” mails would be provided on
a 24 h basis
* Links to tools for automatic translation will be provided to enable
participants to post in both languages.
MODERATORS / FACILITATORS
The different topics and themes will be introduced by moderators who
will also facilitate the discussion. In addition, international
experts on specific topics will contribute specifically to their
areas of expertise. A number of international experts will contribute
as co-moderators to individual topics.
SUBSCRIPTION
To subscribe, please visit http://www.cipaco.org/article.php3?
id_article=74&lang=en, or send an email to Ken Lohento klohento at panos-
ao.org (West and Central African participants) or to Anthony Mugeere
anthony at bridges.org (East and Southern African participants).
Northern African participants are encouraged to use any of the
subscription methods above.
---
About bridges.org and CIPESA
CIPESA is a programme of bridges.org. It is dedicated to increasing
the capacity of East and Southern African stakeholders to participate
in international ICT policy-making. It is one of two programmes with
this specific objective, established under the Catalysing Access to
Information and Communications Technologies in Africa (CATIA)
initiative and funded by the UK Department for International
Development. Its sister programme, CIPACO (serving West and Central
Africa) has been launched by Panos West Africa. Working together, the
programmes will stimulate discussion, undertake research and policy
analysis, and disseminate findings concerning international ICT
issues. The aim is to enable African interests to be more effectively
represented in international policy fora, and international policy
decisions to be more effectively translated into positive outcomes in
Africa. For more information see http://www.cipesa.org and http://
www.bridges.org.
About Panos Institute West Africa and the CIPACO project
The CIPACO project was established by the Panos Institute West Africa
(PIWA), a non-governmental African organization with the objective to
promote a culture of democracy, of citizenship and of peace, through
information and communication. It was initiated in the framework of
the international CATIA Programme, with an aim to strengthen
stakeholders’ capacities in West and Central Africa, for a better
participation in international ICT decision-making. CIPACO is part of
PIWA ICT Programme. CIPACO has five main areas of activity:
* Animation of an information system (portal website on ICT policies
for the two covered regions, electronic news bulletins)
* Production of studies and analysis
* Organisation of periodic thematic electronic debates
* Support to participate in international key meetings
* Collaboration with other specialised initiatives on ICT policies.
More information on Panos Institute West Africa: http://www.panos-ao.org
More information on CIPACO project: http://www.cipaco.org
More information on CATIA Programme: http://www.catia.ws
More information on CATIA can be found at www.catia.ws
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=================================================================
Dr. Michel J. Menou
Consultant in ICT policies and Knowledge & Information Management
Adviser of Somos at Telecentros board http://www.tele-centros.org
Member of the funding steering committee of
Telecenters of the Americas Partnership http://www.tele-centers.net/
B.P. 15
49350 Les Rosiers sur Loire, France
Email: Michel.Menou at wanadoo.fr
Phone: +33 (0)2 41518165
Fax: +33 (0)2 41511043
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/ciber/peoplemenou.php
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Eurchap at asis.org
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=================================================================
Dr. Michel J. Menou
Consultant in ICT policies and Knowledge & Information Management
Adviser of Somos at Telecentros board http://www.tele-centros.org
Member of the funding steering committee of
Telecenters of the Americas Partnership http://www.tele-centers.net/
B.P. 15
49350 Les Rosiers sur Loire, France
Email: Michel.Menou at wanadoo.fr
Phone: +33 (0)2 41518165
Fax: +33 (0)2 41511043
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/ciber/peoplemenou.php
==================================================================
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