Report of the Dynamic Coalition on Access to Knowledge and Free Expression (A2K@IGF)

The A2K@IGF Dynamic Coalition is grateful for this opportunity to report to the IGF Secretariat on our progress and plans for IGF 2008 in Hyderabad. A2K@IGF also confirms its request to hold a coalition meeting at the IGF 2008 in Hyderabad this December.

The purpose of the A2K@IGF Dynamic Coalition is to support and expand Access to Knowledge (A2K) and promote freedom of expression in the realm of information and communication technology.

The A2K@IGF Dynamic Coalition focuses on the following issues:


1. Developing best practice norms for:


a. limitations and exceptions to copyright, patents and other intellectual property rights;


b. third-party liability for intellectual property infringements;


c. implementation of anti-circumvention provisions in 1996 WIPO “Internet Treaties” and other international agreements;


d. on-line access to scholarly research, government funded research, and essential documents such as legal information;


e. the support of alternative business models for creating knowledge goods, including free and open source software, or open scholarly and scientific journals; and


f. protecting freedom of expression and cultural diversity in issues relating to intellectual property rights.


2. Coordinating participation and awareness of A2K activities such as the WIPO Development Agenda including the proposal for an Access to Knowledge Treaty at WIPO.

At the first IGF in 2006 in Athens, the A2K@IGF multi-stakeholder coalition was founded after a workshop in which representatives from Google, the Library of Alexandria, and the Government of Brazil participated. A2K@IGF established a founding document and set up a coalition steering committee in 2006.

At the second IGF in 2007 in Rio de Janeiro, A2K@IGF met again with speakers from Sun Microsystems, the Association for Progressive Communications, Intel, Yale Law School and the IP Academy of Singapore, among others. A2K@IGF also met at Yale’s A2K2 Conference in 2007, made several written contributions to IGF Open Consultations and set up a coalition steering committee in 2007.

Since last November, A2K@IGF participated in both the February and May 2008 Open Consultations and delivered a statement to promote the value of “openness” at IGF as a main theme relevant to all discussions in Hyderabad.

Several coalition members have participated in the 2008 WIPO Development Agenda discussions in Geneva to promote the transformation of WIPO as an institution into a public interest organ responsible to the United Nations and the needs of developing countries. Discussion of an Access to Knowledge Treaty at WIPO is anticipated at IGF 2008 in Hyderabad.

In preparation for IGF 2008, members of the coalition are organizing a side-meeting as part of the A2K3 Conference, which takes place from 8-10 September 2008 in Geneva, Switzerland and is organized by Yale Law School Information Society Project.

Other members of the A2K@IGF coalition are conducting research on legal norms pertaining to access to knowledge and freedom of expression on the Internet that we expect to publish at IGF 2008 in India.

A2K@IGF maintains a coalition website at the URL http://www.a2k-igf.org and a public mailing list at http://mailman.ipjustice.org/listinfo/a2k-igf with 81 current subscribers to the A2K@IGF mailing list. Questions regarding A2K@IGF may be directed to Robin@IPJustice.org