1 Axel Plathe UNESCO ETD 2003 Next Steps - Electronic Theses and Dissertations Worldwide Berlin, Germany, 21 May 2003 Scientific information for equitable knowledge societies

2 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:

3 UNESCO’s mandate  To ensure "free flow of ideas and images"  To "maintain, increase and diffuse knowledge"

4 "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

5 "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

6 "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

7 "Information society" or “knowledge societies"? – Frameworks  Shared principles translated into national policies and international 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

8 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  Growing restrictions on availability and use

9 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”

10 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 (Trieste, Italy) Electronic-Journals Delivery System (eJDS)  Alexandria Library

11 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

12 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 >To pay full respect to provisions in WIPO and WTO treaties >To avoid undermining copyright protection

13 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

14 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

15 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)