Axel Plathe UNESCO
ETD 2003
Next Steps - Electronic Theses and Dissertations Worldwide
Berlin, Germany, 21 May 2003
Scientific information for equitable
knowledge societies
A. "Information society" or “knowledge societies"?
B. Developing public domain content C. Balancing rights-holders’ and users’
interests
D. Preserving digital heritage E. UNESCO and ETDs
Content of presentation:
UNESCO’s mandate
To ensure "free flow of ideas and images"
To "maintain, increase and diffuse
knowledge"
"Information society" or “knowledge societies"? - Background
ICTs:
> New means for achieving progress
> Facilitation of moving and handling data
> But: human creativity for generating and validating information and knowledge
Issues at stake for scientific information:
> Access to infrastructure
> Access to scientific and development data and information
> Intellectual property rights
> Technical feasibility vs. erosion of access to certain information and knowledge
"Information society" or “knowledge societies"? – Concepts
"Information Society"
> Technological innovation
> Omnipresent influence of computer based networks
> Globalization of information, communication, technologies
> Collecting, copying, storing, transmitting, incorporating, manipulating, simulating, and managing information
„Knowledge societies“
> Knowledge work of researchers, experts, analysts and users
> Using theories, models, scenarios, decision strategies, etc.
> Establishing orientation and certainty.
> Giving a dimension of socio-economic, political transformation
> Providing pluralistic and developmental perspective
> Fostering intellectual cooperation, lifelong learning, values
> Making sense of information
"Information society" or “knowledge societies"? – Divide
Persistence of "techno-apartheid"
Challenge for developing countries
Includes divide in access to
> scientific and technological information
> learning opportunities
"Information society" or “knowledge societies"? – Frameworks
Shared principles translated into national policies andinternational framework
Balanced and consistent international standards, e.g.:
> WIPO Copyright Treaty (WCT)
> WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty (WPPT)
UNESCO “Recommendation concerning the Promotion and Use of Multilingualism and Universal Access to Cyberspace”
> Promote access to information and knowledge for sciences and education
> Respect conformity with international conventions on intellectual property
Developing public domain content – Definition
Publicly accessible information
Works or objects of related rights which can be exploited by everybody without any authorization
Not only classical literature, but also public data and official information
Use should not infringe any legal right, or any obligation of confidentiality
Forms an international virtual public library
Provides support for productive, commercial and creative sector activities
Public domain information not sufficiently well-known
Developing public domain content – Promotion
UNESCO encourages Member States to
> recognize and enact the right of universal online access to public and government held records
> identify and promote repositories of information and knowledge in the public domain
> make public domain information available to all
“Policy Guidelines for the Development and Promotion of Public Domain Information”
Developing public domain content – Examples
Open source software license
Documentation produced by the UN and its specialized agencies
Educational resources provided free of charge for non- commercial use (MIT OpenCourseWare project)
Some publishers provide production under preferential
conditions for developing countries (UNESCO developing model frameworks)
WHO Health InterNetwork Access to Research Initiative (HINARI)
International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications (INASP): PERI initiative
Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics
Balancing rights-holders’ and users’
interests – Definition
Fair balance of interests in the use of copyrighted works in the digital environment
Also called “fair use”, “fair dealing” or “limitations and exceptions authorized by the law”
> To provide for exceptional free reproduction of copyrighted information
> To address special usages: Education, research, library services, disabled persons
> To be authorized in national legislation limiting the risk to interests of rights-holders
> To be applied only in certain special cases
> No conflict with normal exploitation of the work
> No prejudice to legitimate interests of rights-holders
> To create the public library of the digital world
Balancing rights-holders’ and users’
interests – Promotion
Importance of
> Equitable use provisions in national policies in education, the sciences and culture, particularly for the developing countries
> Fair balance between rights-holders’ and user interests
> Focus on exploitation of cultural works for teaching, scientific research, libraries, etc.
UNESCO
> To compare he relevant provisions in existing national legislation with actual needs
> To establish a consensus building process how to address gaps
Preserving digital heritage – Definitions
Digital materials:
> Increasing number of resources of knowledge only in digital form
> Include texts, databases, still & mowing images, audio, graphics, software, web pages
> Exist in any language, in any part of the world, and in any area of human knowledge or expression.
> Part of the wider continuum of digital information
> Constitute a heritage that should be protected and preserved
> Needs protection throughout the information’s life cycle
Preservation in order to ensure access that is:
> Permanent
> Equitable and free of unreasonable restrictions
> Secure (protection of sensitive and personal information)
> A guarantee for authentic and stable digital objects
Preserving digital heritage – Measures
Need for establish international consensus on preserving digital heritage
Need to prepare national policies
"Charter for the Preservation of Digital Heritage”
Focusing on advocacy and public policy issues
"Guidelines for the Preservation of Digital Heritage“
Covering technical and practical issues
UNESCO and ETDs
Promoting the use of the Internet as a tool for disseminating scientific knowledge
Facilitating the transfer of ETD expertise from developed to developing countries
1998: Member of the NDLTD Steering Committee
1999: First UNESCO ETD meeting on ETD internationalisation
2002: “UNESCO Guide to Electronic Theses and Dissertations”
2003: Model training programmes and training courses
2003: Sponsor pilot projects
2003: Pilot projects (Africa, Europe, Latin-America)
