Month: December 2013

Michael Geist: Taking user rights seriously — two weeks that changed copyright

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At the Global Congress in Cape Town, Michael Geist reflects on the two weeks that changed copyright in Canada in 2012. Canada went from a maximalist copyright trajectory in 2005 to the global champion of user rights in 2012. Canada’s new legislation includes the most favourable provisions for users across a huge range of issues; Read more about Michael Geist: Taking user rights seriously — two weeks that changed copyright[…]

Ruth Okediji: IP rights and the African innovation paradox (Global Congress 2013, Cape Town)

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Ruth Okediji makes an argument that we need to resist and avoid consenting and legitimising a system of command and control in IP. Okediji’s starting point is that the essence of the fourth wave of IP geopolitical change is not about harmonisation: it’s about fundamentally de-anchoring IP from the public interest. It’s about a unilateral effort to supra-design an IP system that works for some interests and regions and not others.
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Ahmed Abdel-Latif: Change – Global Congress liveblog

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Ahmed Abdel-Latif talks about change in IP. We’re interested in IP because we’re interested in change, but we need to think much more strategically about how change comes about. Abdel-Latif argues that change happens when three factors come together: 1 A compelling narrative; 2 The right moment; and 3 Strong networks. Success stories, where we Read more about Ahmed Abdel-Latif: Change – Global Congress liveblog[…]

Dr Kelly Purser on Legal capacity: the legal and medical interface

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Today at QUT Law research seminars, Dr Kelly Purser talks about legal capacity, focusing on the big problems: wills, advance health directives, and powers of attorney. Australia is an aging population, which means there will be lots of people without capacity. Incidences of dementia are likely to increase 6-fold by 2050. It’s already the single Read more about Dr Kelly Purser on Legal capacity: the legal and medical interface[…]