"Public Domain Info Under Threat, Say Groups"
United Press International (05/12/02); Burnell, Scott R.
http://www.nandotimes.com/technology/story/399236p-3178262c.html
Information accessible to the public domain, also known as the "information commons," is being threatened from patent and copyright enforcement, according to speakers at a conference hosted by Public Knowledge and the New America Foundation (NAF). "If the champions of the market are likely to talk about profitability and efficiency, the commons helps us talk about...democratic representation, access, openness, social equity and diversity," declared NAF Information Commons Project director David Bollier. "These values don't have adequate articulation in a lot of public policy debate." The purpose of the conference was to consider techniques that could save public interest access to the commons, which Bollier said applies to scientific research, the Internet, and public airwaves. Arti Rai of the University of Pennsylvania Law School noted that many researchers can be blocked from continuing or verifying important work because companies or scientists broadly patent basic in! formation and investigation methods. New York University's Siva Vaidhyanathan said that digital copyrights have become stricter and carry stiffer penalties. Rep. Rick Boucher (D-Va.), who delivered a keynote speech at the event, plans to introduce legislation that will benefit the information commons--namely, a bill that would sanction the copying of material protected by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act for academic research and other "fair use" activities.
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