News Highlights 2

Latest Publications 3

Researchers from the

Arab World

3

Translated Material 4

Inside this issue:

Non Periodic Issue (6)

December 2009

BA A2K Platform Newsletter

B I B L I O T H E C A A L E X A N D R I N A

Have a

Say

On

A2K

African-Arab Seminar on Copyright

Limitations and Exceptions: Addressing the Needs of Affected Constituencies

The seminar provided a forum for a dialogue and exchange of infor-

mation, and views among different stakeholders in African and Arab

countries in copyright limitations and exceptions, including the cur-

rent discussions on the need of a treaty for the visually impaired.

The Bibliotheca Alexandrina representative’s power point here

Consumer Protection in the Context of

Microfinance Research

“Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality.”

The Dalai Lama

There is a clear role

for lawyers to engage

in development activi-

ties by assisting the

poor to access infor-

mation about their le-

gal rights, thereby fa-

cilitating Access to

Knowledge. Lawyers

can also directly pro-

vide legal aid as well

as advocate for the im-

proved protection of

consumer rights.

Thus, the BA A2K

project is Collaborat-

ing with the Interna-

tional Development

Law Organization to

explore the expansion

of the A2K panorama .

Together, BA and

IDLO are researching

the de jure and de

facto existence of con-

sumer protection prin-

ciples in the Egyptian

legal and regulatory

framework and micro-

finance industry,

particularly with

regard to the provi-

sion of financial

services to the

poor. Ultimately,

this research will be

done in five coun-

tries and will end

with recommenda-

tions as to how to

improve protections

for the poor.

http://www.bibalex.org/a2k/Forum/Topic.aspxhttp://www.bibalex.org/a2k/Forum/Topic.aspxhttp://www.bibalex.org/a2k/Forum/Topic.aspxhttp://www.bibalex.org/a2k/Forum/Topic.aspxhttp://www.bibalex.org/a2k/Forum/Topic.aspxhttp://www.bibalex.org/a2k/Forum/Topic.aspxhttp://www.bibalex.org/a2k/Forum/Topic.aspxhttp://www.bibalex.org/a2k/Forum/Topic.aspxhttp://www.bibalex.org/a2k/Forum/Topic.aspxhttp://www.bibalex.org/a2k/Forum/Topic.aspxhttp://www.wipo.int/meetings/en/details.jsp?meeting_id=19882http://www.wipo.int/meetings/en/details.jsp?meeting_id=19882http://www.wipo.int/meetings/en/details.jsp?meeting_id=19882http://www.wipo.int/meetings/en/doc_details.jsp?doc_id=130083

News Highlights

BA A2K Platform Newsletter Page 2

Anti—Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA)

November 17th, 2009

ACTA: Walk away or get on board

November 30th, 2009

EU ACTA analysis leaks: confirms plans for global DMCA, encour-

age 3 strikes model

December 7th, 2009

Transparency of FTAA negotiations, compared to ACTA

December 21, 2009

ACTA may prompt quick restart to EU harmonization of criminal

enforcement Of IP

“True knowledge exists in knowing that you know nothing. And in knowing that you

know nothing, that makes you the smartest of all.”

Socrates Internet Governance Forum

November 15th, 2009

IGF 2009 event rattled by UN Security

Office

November 16th, 2009

Censorship at IGF in Sharm el Sheikh

November 16th, 2009

FAQ: What happened at the Internet

Governance Forum?

November 18th, 2009

Egypt the first Arab country to

apply for the registration of

domain names in Arabic un-

der the scope (dot Egypt)

November 26th,

2009

How Science is

shackled by IP

?

Ownership righ

ts pose a real d

an-

ger to scientific

progress for th

e

public good

December 4th, 2

009

Update on Goo

gle Books State

ment

December 14th,

2009

The WIPO SCC

R 19 begins its

work

December 17th,

2009

WIPO Draft O

n Visually

Impaired Show

s Break-

through

December 19th,

2009

IP References L

eft Out Of Last

-

Minute, Weak

Global Climate

Deal

In Copenhagen

http://sarabannerman.blogspot.com/2009/11/acta-walk-away-or-get-on-board.htmlhttp://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/4575/125/http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/4575/125/http://keionline.org/node/715http://www.ip-watch.org/weblog/?p=8782http://www.ip-watch.org/weblog/?p=8782http://www.mis-asia.com/news/articles/igf-2009-event-rattled-by-un-security-officehttp://www.mis-asia.com/news/articles/igf-2009-event-rattled-by-un-security-officehttp://jehanara.wordpress.com/2009/11/16/censorship-at-igf-in-sharm-el-sheikh/feedhttp://opennet.net/faq-what-happened-internet-governance-forumhttp://opennet.net/faq-what-happened-internet-governance-forumhttp://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/4637580-egypt-the-first-arab-country-to-apply-for-the-registration-of-domain-names-in-arabic-under-the-scope-dot-egypthttp://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/4637580-egypt-the-first-arab-country-to-apply-for-the-registration-of-domain-names-in-arabic-under-the-scope-dot-egypthttp://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/4637580-egypt-the-first-arab-country-to-apply-for-the-registration-of-domain-names-in-arabic-under-the-scope-dot-egypthttp://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/4637580-egypt-the-first-arab-country-to-apply-for-the-registration-of-domain-names-in-arabic-under-the-scope-dot-egypthttp://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/nov/26/science-shackles-intellectual-propertyhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/nov/26/science-shackles-intellectual-propertyhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/nov/26/science-shackles-intellectual-propertyhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/nov/26/science-shackles-intellectual-propertyhttp://www.ifla.org/en/news/update-on-google-books-statementhttp://www.keionline.org/node/721http://www.keionline.org/node/721http://www.ip-watch.org/weblog/2009/12/17/wipo-draft-on-visually-impaired-shows-breakthrough-a-v-treaty-negotiation-under-discussion/http://www.ip-watch.org/weblog/2009/12/17/wipo-draft-on-visually-impaired-shows-breakthrough-a-v-treaty-negotiation-under-discussion/http://www.ip-watch.org/weblog/2009/12/17/wipo-draft-on-visually-impaired-shows-breakthrough-a-v-treaty-negotiation-under-discussion/http://www.ip-watch.org/weblog/2009/12/19/ip-references-left-out-of-last-minute-weak-global-climate-deal-in-copenhagen/http://www.ip-watch.org/weblog/2009/12/19/ip-references-left-out-of-last-minute-weak-global-climate-deal-in-copenhagen/http://www.ip-watch.org/weblog/2009/12/19/ip-references-left-out-of-last-minute-weak-global-climate-deal-in-copenhagen/

Latest Publications

BA A2K Platform Newsletter Page 3

BA A2K Toolkit I has been updated with:

The GNU Free Documentation License

By Anas Tawileh

The adoption of the GNU General Public License (GPL) did not face

any significant difficulties. Despite all the challenges it posed to pro-

prietary software development companies, and the vested interests of

so many players, the GPL was incredibly successful in attracting large

numbers of software developers to write and contribute high quality

software. This can be partly attributed to the characteristics of the

software development process, in which several developers collabo-

rate to write small chunks of code, in addition to the ethos of software

developers who tend to favor tinkering around with source code to

learn how it works, and then work on improving it.

Page 57

Networking: Researchers From

The Arab World

Dr. Anas Tawileh

Consultant for the International Development Research Centre

(IDRC) of Canada and Vice President of Engineering for

Meedan.net

A firm believer in Free and Open Source Software (F/OSS), Dr.

Anas Tawileh established the GNU/Linux Syria User Group in Da-

mascus in 2002 and started the Arab Commons Initiative. He has a

Masters degree in Information Systems Engineering from Cardiff

University and a PhD in Information Assurance from the same uni-

versity.

Publications:

Open Source - Unlimited Opportunities

Wireless Networking in the Developing World - Arabic Edition

VoIP for Development: A Primer

"A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both."

Dwight D. Eisenhower

“If you give people tools, (and they use) their natural ability and their curiosity, they will develop

things in ways that will surprise you very much beyond what you might have

expected.”

Bill Gates

http://www.bibalex.org/a2k/attachments/references/reffileh150fxqxns2lld55djrkderc.pdfhttp://www.bibalex.org/a2k/attachments/references/reffileh150fxqxns2lld55djrkderc.pdfhttp://www.bibalex.org/a2k/attachments/Speakers/AnasTAWILEHbio.pdfhttp://beta.meedan.net/http://www.bibalex.org/a2k/attachments/Speakers/AnasTAWILEHbio.pdf

BA A2K Platform Newsletter Page 4

Translated Material

Contact Details

Bibliotheca Alexandrina

Legal Department

P.O. Box 138, Chatby,

Alexandria 21526, Egypt.

Project Leader Hala Essalmawi Phone: (+203) 4839999 Ext:1153 Fax: (+203) 4820452 Email: a2k@bibalex.org Project Officer Ghada Ossama Deghedy Email: Ghada.Deghedy@bibalex.org

“If you have knowledge, let others light their candles at

it.” Margaret Fuller

Open Access & the

Divide Between

“Mainstream” & “Peripheral” Science

By Jean-Claude Guédon

“Neither the “centre”, nor the “periphery” is monolithic and,

on at least some issues, they display points of convergence.

Open Access to the scientific literature is a good example of

such a possible convergence: most scientists everywhere can

agree that it will improve their ability to work and to contrib-

ute to the evolution of science. But they may have dif-

ferent arguments to support this viewpoint.”

To view full Arabic version click here

Ph. D. in history of Science (University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1974) and Professor at the University of Montreal, Jean-Claude Guédon must have been among the very first users of the Net in the humanities as he began to explore the Internet ca. 1988. Through his understanding of the power of the Net, he designed and launched an electronic scholarly journal in the humanities in 1991 (Surfaces) and this is the oldest extant e-journal in Canada.

Coming soon

BA A2K Toolkit II

In Arabic

mailto:a2k@bibalex.orghttp://eprints.rclis.org/12156/1/Brazil-final.pdfhttp://eprints.rclis.org/12156/1/Brazil-final.pdfhttp://eprints.rclis.org/12156/1/Brazil-final.pdfhttp://www.bibalex.org/a2k/attachments/TranslatedMaterials/TMfileh150fxqxns2lld55djrkderc.pdfhttp://www.isoc.org/isoc/general/trustees/elections/2002/profiles/guedon.shtml