a2k rit

Access to Knowledge and Philosophy of Technology

Eddan KatzRochester Institute of Technology (RIT)

Hale Lecture on EthicsSeptember 20, 2007

1Wednesday, December 29, 2010

What is Access to Knowledge (A2K)?

• Theoretical Framework for understanding the knowledge economy

• Social Movement of technology, intellectual property, access to medicines, etc. activists from developed and developing countries

• Draft Treaty and Development Agenda at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)


A2K & Philosophy

• Origins of Access to Knowledge is at the intersection of innovation and development

• Led by technology policy activists, law & technology centers, law professors & economists

• Yale ISP leading intellectual framing and movement-building

• Set of questions that need to be worked through and supported by philosophers


My Thesis

• Access to Knowledge is key to the attainment of human development and human rights

• Open Infrastructures are key to improving access to knowledge

• Can an ethics of the good support the claim that open infrastructures are key to A2K?


History of IP & International Trade

• What is similar between designer handbags, hollywood movies, and genetically modified food?

• IP alliance formed between agri-biotech, copyright alliance, and anti-counterfeiting.

• Agenda to shift IP as the domain of international trade and set out harmonized global regime

• Exploit anxieties about US trade deficit - claim about maximizing IP protection as key to maintaining hegemony in knowledge economy.


Knowledge & Information Theory

• Information - basic facts, news, weather, government documents

• Knowledge - education, artisan and technical skill

• Knowledge-Embedded Goods - pharmaceuticals, agricultural seeds, computer software

• Knowledge-Embedded Tools - internet infrastructure, technical standards, research databases


Regime-Shifting & Public Choice Theory

• Small multi-national corporate alliance first drafting of IP regime wish list.

• Frustrated by WIPO, alliance moves to WTO. Passes TRIPs.

• Trade negotiations with developing countries. TRIPs-Plus Agenda

• Harmonization & Resistance. Special 301 - USTR


Development Agenda & Cyber-Activism

• South Centre, ICTSD, KEI and others create PCDA - working group at WIPO.

• Reform WIPO on subject matter, technical assistance, and flexibilities of implementation

• This week confirmed recommendations to General Assembly at WIPO

• Upcoming interpretive battle over impact on WIPO activities


A2K Country Study Topics• Agriculture: seed patents, distributed scientific research; farmer's rights• Health: access to medicines, access to information about health;

informed consent• Science: scientific publication & IP, open access journals; distributed

databases• Genetic Resources: traditional medicine; varietal protection; clinical

trials• Education: IP & textbooks; distance learning; open educational

resources• Culture: mass media & new media; creative commons; digital piracy• Traditional Knowledge: indigenous culture; community benefit-sharing• Software: free and open source; DRM/anti-circumvention; values in

design• Libraries: copyright exceptions & limitations; community access; public

domain• ICT: mobile technology, telecentres, universal service; broadband access• Infrastructure: internet governance; technical barriers to trade;

standards• Information: transparency & democracy; ownership of information;

privacy


A2K Claims - Development• Human Development - essential needs: food

security, medicine, education, partic. in culture

• Social Justice - distributive. Not opportunities in the form of rights.

• Technology & Competition Policy - dependent on economic development & cultural context

• Spurring information & knowledge production in these areas (info, knowledge, KEG, KET) will improve people’s lives


A2K Claims - Open Infrastucture

• Open Infrastructures are better for efficiency and production. (e.g., open source, wikipedia, p2p (vs. drm)

• Open infrastructure enable greater freedom and individual participation. Modifiability; tailoring to local needs

• Peer Production - non-market voluntarism. Modularity, Granularity, Integration.


Open Access Journals

• Increasing monopoly over publication of schoalrly materials.

• Built on top of regime of exclusive rights in copyright

• Reputation economy - entrenched publication hierarchy

• Economy of Ideas - Value grows with greater distribution


Historical Moment

• Will information and knowledge production continue to be dominated by large corporate entities in a centralized structure?

• or Will information production be distributed across greater number of people, from all around the world? Strategy is one of participation.

• This is dependent on international technology policy.


Questions for Philosophers• What is the status of moral obligation within

open infrastructures & online communities?

• Where is the source of responsibility in network infrastructures?

• How can the open infrastructures be reconciled with reactionary cultural preservation & sanctification of knowledge?

• Can distributive justice claims be globalized or is it a question for national policy?


a2k rit

Technology

accessto knowledge

thesis access

ip alliance

information production

ip protection

mobile technology

tradestandards information

technology policy activists