Access to knowledge for consumers
Subtitle: reports of campaigns and research 2008-2010
By: [compiled and edited by Jeremy Malcolm]
Contributors: Consumers International (Foundation)
Publisher: Consumers International
Published: 2010
Place of publication: Kuala Lumpur
Language: eng
Number of pages: 321
ISBN-13: 9780956611710
Subjects: Intellectual property; Surveys; Fair use (Copyright); Copyright; Open access publishing
Description: Information Program grantee Consumers International has released the results of a global survey designed to expose the obstacles consumers face in gaining access to education and cultural materials. The survey was conducted in 13 languages, covering 15,000 consumers across 24 countries. The survey found that "The biggest barriers that consumers face in accessing copyright works are those created by copyright law. Even so, consumers around the world will choose original copyright works over pirated copies, provided that they are available at an affordable price." While borrowing from libraries and other cultural institutions provided a viable alternative for some consumers priced out of original copyrighted works, the survey found that, particularly in developing countries, "access to libraries is limited and the works they carry are few." Although the authors of the survey saw "copyleft" initiatives like Open Educational Resources and Free and Open Source Software as great ways to help consumers vault access barriers, they concluded that governments needed to act "to address consumers' needs for lower cost original materials to buy, borrow and access online." The survey forms the first two chapters of Consumers International's new report Access to Knowledge for Consumers: Reports of Campaigns and Research 2008-2010"--Publisher description.
Notes: Includes footnotes.

Photocopy.

Text in English with some text in French.
Table of contents: title: I. Global consumer survey on A2K access barriers; title: 1. First phase: planning and interviews; title: 2. Second phase: global questionnaire; title: II. National research on copyright flexibilities; title: 3. Shifting sands?; title: 4. Fair use in Israel; title: III. National advocacy and campaigning activities; title: 5. A brief on important activities on access to knowledge; title: 6. Excessive pricing of educational materials in Cameroon; title: 7. A2K advocacy campaigns for librarians; title: 8. Access to knowledge through permissive copyright law and policy; title: 9. 1978: what were YOU doing?; title: 10. Reducing the retail prices of educational books in Zambia; title: IV. Papers from 2010 CI Global Meeting on A2K; title: 11. Role du système éducatif dans l'acces a la connaissance; title: 12. Mapping A2K advocacy; title: 13. Libraries and access to knowledge; title: partners with consumers; title: 14. IDEC campaign and Brazilian reform of copyright law.