I’m off in a couple of hours to the “Access to Knowledge” conference at Yale University this weekend, April 21-23. The goal of the conference is to
come up with a new analytic framework for analysing the possibly distortive effects of public policies relying exclusively on intellectual property rights. Beyond this aim, the A2K initiative seeks to support the adoption and development of alternative ways to foster greater access to knowledge in the digitally connected environment.
The aim of “A2K” folks is to reframe the copyright and intellectual property debates into a discussion about public access to knowledge. Thus it turns the rights language of intellectual property rights on its head and looks at the right to access various materials and forms of expression. And hopefully creates more grounds for defending less draconian and punitive measures to close off public access to everything from music, to scientific and medical innovations to wireless internet.
Lots of interesting folks with be there, including my pals Andy Carvin, Bill Drake of CPSR, Sean O’Siochru of CRIS Campaign, and Anriette Esterhuysen of APC, cool folks like Robin Gross of IP Justice, Jamie Love of Consumer Project on Technology, and Rinalia Abdul Rahim of Global Knowledge Partnership. Should be a fun weekend in New Haven.