[MPWG] New project announcement: eIFL-IP

[Sonya]

[Forwarding from eIFL.  --Sonya]

January 2005

Dear colleague,

eIFL.net is pleased to announce the launch of a new service, eIFL-IP.
The goal of eIFL-IP is to build capacity and expertise amongst the
eIFL.net library community in 50 developing and transition countries in
intellectual property issues.

The global trend is towards more protection, greater enforcement and new
rights on information. Intellectual property is increasingly viewed as
an asset to be traded. This can result in very restrictive IP provisions
which affect access to essential information, educational and learning
materials and cultural resources, all crucial to development.

In order to safeguard future library services, to help narrow the
digital divide, empower citizens and encourage democratic values,
eIFL.net librarians must be in a position to advocate for fair access to
information, as well as balance, proportionality and developmental
awareness in IP laws.

eIFL-IP will build on the eIFL network to create national and regional
expertise in copyright issues for libraries, will pro-actively monitor
the latest developments and will provide tools, resources and specialist
advice. It will represent the interests of members in key international
policy fora and will create strategic partnerships with the
international library community and a wide range of civil society
organisations.

This is an exciting new activity in a hugely important area of
international debate which will bring new opportunities and benefits to
eIFL.net members.

For more information: www.eifl.net
Rima Kupryte, eIFL.net Director: info at eifl.net
Teresa Hackett, Project Manager, eIFL-IP: teresa.hackett at eifl.net

--
Teresa Hackett
Project Manager, eIFL-IP
Email: teresa.hackett at eifl.net
Mobile: +353 87 625 3768
Web: www.eifl.net
Electronic Information for Libraries
in transition & developing countries
====================================
[Forwarding from Atanu Garai.  --Peter.]


Dear All,

We are glad to invite you to "FOSS - Policy and Development Implications"
discussion forum, a forum to discuss the developmental impact of Free and
Open Source Software.

The key issues raised for this discussion are:

1. Opportunities and drawbacks of FOSS for developing countries =AD the=
 roles
of government, civil society, business in the process

2. FOSS & Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) =AD stretching the development
dollar for scaling-up impact

3. The global Intellectual Property Concern - Business monopoly of first
world nations software giants versus third world collaborative efforts.

4. Enabling legal/regulatory/policy framework for country specific strategic
evolution FOSS.

5. Open-source processes outside the software sector =AD Free Medicine, Seed
Bank, Open Access, Open Archiving etc.

6. Comparison of proprietary software vis-=E0-vis FOSS in terms of technical
merits =ADreliability, stability, and vulnerabilities, especially in the
context of national ecurity.

7. FOSS versus Public Domain Software and Freeware =AD the Total Cost of
Ownership (TCO) of FOSS.

8. Understanding why individuals contribute to FOSS projects and what
motivates FOSS developers to "donate" their time and are these motivations
different in developed and developing countries? Are there constraints,
especially in developing countries, that could be addressed by government or
private sector interventions?

The FOSS e-discussion is being facilitated by - Bridges.org, Cape Town,
South Africa; Free and Open Source Software Foundation for Africa (FOSSFA),
Nairobi, Kenya; OneWorld South Asia (OWSA), New Delhi, India; UNDP-APDIP
International Open Source Network (IOSN), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; UNDP
Asia-Pacific Development Information Programme (APDIP/UNDP) Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia.  All the stakeholders involved believe that FOSS is in line with
the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) because it increases access to,
ownership of, and control of knowledge and information through the
collaborative development of newer technologies and communication
opportunities. FOSS development methodology fosters new forms of knowledge
production in a collaborative, non-hierarchical, peer-to-peer manner.


Thank you.
Moderators
FOSS-PDI
http://lists.apdip.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/foss-pdi
foss-pdi at lists.apdip.net


Atanu Garai
ICT Advocacy Officer
OneWorld South Asia
C5, Qutab Institutional Area
New Delhi 110016
India.
Phone: 0091-11-51689000,09
Fax: 0091-11-51689001
E atanu.garai at oneworld.net
http://www.digitalopportunity.org




--------------
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