---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Iryna Kuchma Date: 4 October 2011 21:02 Subject: [EIFLoa] Sign the Washington Declaration on IP and the Public Interest To: eifloa [Forwarded message from Teresa Hackett, EIFL-IP Program Manager] On August 25-27, 2011, the Program on Information Justice and Intellectual Property at the American University in Washington held a global congress attended by over 180 experts from 32 countries and six continents, who helped to re-articulate the public interest dimension in intellectual property law and policy. The conclusions from the Congress are the "Washington Declaration on Intellectual Property and the Public Interest", which is open for signature. To date over 780 academics, government representatives, NGOs and other civil society representatives from all over the world have signed up. Iryna Kuchma, EIFL-OA Program Manger and myself have signed for EIFL. We encourage you join like-minded colleagues from around the globe and to add your signature. If you are signing on behalf of your consortium or institution (recommended), please remember to get their approval first! http://infojustice.org/washington-declaration (scroll to page end for signatures) Extract from the full text, http://infojustice.org/washington-declaration-html <SNIP> We begin our statement of the Congress’s conclusions with two overarching points: • International intellectual property policy affects a broad range of interests within society, not just those of rights holders. Thus, intellectual property policy making should be conducted through mechanisms of transparency and openness that encourage broad public participation. New rules should be made within the existing forums responsible for intellectual property policy, where both developed and developing countries have full representation, and where the texts of and forums for considering proposals are open. All new international intellectual property standards must be subject to democratic checks and balances, including domestic legislative approval and opportunities for judicial review. • Markets alone cannot be relied upon to achieve a just allocation of information goods — that is, one that promotes the full range of human values at stake in intellectual property systems. This is clear, for example, from recent experiences in the areas of public health and education, where intellectual property has complicated progress toward meeting these basic public needs. Informed by these two broad points, the Congress adopted a series of specific recommendations for action, which are expressed below. [The headings] -Putting Intellectual Property in Its Place -Valuing Openness and the Public Domain -Strengthening Limitations and Exceptions "...Promote limitations and exceptions that enable libraries, museums, archives and other “institutions of memory” to fulfill their public interest missions, while assuring that cultural and educational institutions take advantage of existing flexibilities...." -Setting Public Interest Priorities for Patent Reform -Supporting Cultural Creativity -Checking Enforcement Excesses -Implementing Development Agendas -Requiring Evidence-based Policy Making Read the Declaration and sign up (scroll to page end), http://infojustice.org/washington-declaration-html It would be great if lots of EIFL partner countries can sign up! Best wishes Teresa ----- Teresa Hackett EIFL-IP Program Manager www.eifl.net ----- _______________________________________________ http://www.eifl.net eifloa mailing list - eifloa@lists.eifl.net Unsubscribe: http://www.eifl.net/mailman/options/eifloa/gutam2000%40gmail.com _______________________________________________ -- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner, and is believed to be clean.