Concise Description:
The debate over the use of open content licences has increased recently in the Arab world, where enforcement of copyright laws is limited and piracy rates are high. The use of Free Open Source Software (FOSS), Creative Commons and other voluntary mechanisms could provide a meaningful alternative to those problems.
The workshop will explore opportunities and challenges (legal, technical, educational linguistic) facing the use of open content licenses focusing on the specific needs of the Arab world.
A special emphasis will be put on how governments and businesses in the Arab world could eventually benefit from such voluntary mechanisms in order to encourage more adaptation and use of such models.
The list of speakers are as follows:
1) The Philosophy Behind Open Content
Ahmed Mekkawy - EGLUG (Egyptian Linux Users Group), Egypt
2)Problems Facing Open Content in Arab World
Ahmed Gharbeia, ICT freelance consultant, Egypt
3) Towards an Arabic Free Culture
Issa Mahasneh - Jordan Open Source Association, Jordan
4) Open Content Licensing and Creative Commons in the Arab world- A legal perspective
Rami Olwan- Creative Commons Jordan
Khaled Koouba, Creative Commons Tunisia, Director of the Arab world Internet Institute, Tunisia
5) Open licensing and education
Brian Fitzgerald - Centre of Excellence for Creativity and Innovation, University of Brisbane, Australia
6) Legal issues concerning the application of Creative Commons licenses in the Arab region - Jordan as a case study-
Ziad Maraqa, Agip, Jordan
7) Dr Bassam Hammo
Head of the Computer Information Systems Department
King Abdullah II School for Information Technology - University of Jordan
8) speaker from Unesco Egypt. Pls note that Mr Andrea Beccalli has confirmed Unesco participation to our workshop but was not able to tell us yet who will be the speaker for this session. Pls contact him in case you have any further question. Thank you.
