May 2010 Bulletin

News Updates

• India slowly gets to grips with ecommerce
  Growth in computer use and Internet penetration will help e-commerce.
  http://cis-india.org/news/India-gets-to-grips-with-ecommerce
• World Wide Web Consortium for All
  Indian web designers have long ignored needs of people with different disabilities but a new dedicated wiki aspires to change that, writes Malvika Tegta
  http://cis-india.org/news/www-for-all
• Biometry Is Watching
  In its first steps, the UID drive encounters practical problems, raises ethical questions, reports Sugata Srinivasaraju in Outlook.
  http://cis-india.org/news/biometry-is-watching
• What Women Want: The ability debates
  In this article published in the Hindu, Deepa Alexander argues that the proposed amendments to the Copyright Act (1957) are restrictive and discriminatory.
  http://cis-india.org/news/what-women-want
• CIS – Internet is neither good nor bad
  This post is also available in: French, Spanish, Portuguese (Brazil)
  http://cis-india.org/news/Internet-not-good-not-bad
• Right to Read event in Brussels
  A 'Right to Read' event is being held at the European Parliament, Brussels on 4 May 2010.
  http://cis-india.org/news/right-to-read-brussels
• Mapping the things that affect us
  'Map for making change' is a project using geographical mapping techniques to support struggles for social justice in India
  http://cis-india.org/news/mapping-the-things
• 'UID is being forced'
  CIS feels that the UID project is forced on the citizens.
  http://cis-india.org/news/UID-is-forced
• ID programme faces first challenge over privacy, data
  The government is looking to the ID programme to help ensure that various welfare programmes reach the poor
  http://cis-india.org/news/id-programe-faces-challenge
• Their India has no borders
  Bangalore felt far for them, they would mark it outside the country. India, for migrant labourers, is different from the India we know
  http://cis-india.org/news/their-india-has-no-borders
• Scrap UID project, say people's organisations
  The unique identification number project is executed without any legislative or parliamentary sanction.
  http://cis-india.org/news/Scrap-UID-project
• UID info can be misused
  Public organisations, NGOs and concerned citizens feel UID may become an easy database for anti-social elements.
  http://cis-india.org/news/uid-info-can-be-misused
• UID project draws flak from civil rights activists
  The unique identification project is drawing a flak from civil rights activists.
  http://cis-india.org/news/UID-project-draws-flak
• Citizens' forums want UID project scrapped
  Citizens' forums and groups have stepped up their attack on the Unique Identification Project calling for the complete scrapping of the project.
  http://cis-india.org/news/citizens-forums-want-UID-scrapped
• Disability rights groups oppose changes to Copyright Act
  Disability rights groups are up in arms against a Bill proposing an amendment to the Copyright Act, 1952, reports Aarti Dhar in an article published in the Hindu on April 23, 2010.
  http://cis-india.org/news/disability-groups-oppose-copyright-amendments
• Centre for Study of Culture and Society seeks Programme Associate
  The Higher Education Cell, Centre for Study of Culture and Society is looking for a Programme Associate to help develop e-content and conduct training programmes for projects under its Social Justice and Networked Higher Education Initiatives.
  http://cis-india.org/news/position-announcement

Research

• Digital Natives at Republica 2010
  Nishant Shah from the Centre for Internet and Society, made a presentation at the Re:Publica 2010, in Berlin, about its collaborative project (with Hivos, Netherlands) "Digital Natives with a Cause?" The video for the presentation, along with an extensive abstract is online.
  http://cis-india.org/research/dn/dnrepub

Accessibility

Right to Read in the European Parliament: A Report
The European Blind Union and the Transatlantic Consumer Dialogue supported an event sponsored by seven MEPs in the European Parliament to discuss the way forward for EU to support the Treaty for the Blind, Visually Impaired and Other Reading Disabled which has been proposed at the World Intellectual Property Organisation by Brazil, Mexico, Ecuador and Paraguay.
http://cis-india.org/advocacy/accessibility/blog/right-to-read-europe

Intellectual Property

The 2010 Special 301 Report Is More of the Same, Slightly Less Shrill Pranesh Prakash examines the numerous flaws in the Special 301 from the Indian perspective, to come to the conclusion that the Indian government should openly refuse to acknowledge such a flawed report. He notes that the Consumers International survey, to which CIS contributed the India report, serves as an effective counter to the Special 301 report.
http://cis-india.org/advocacy/ipr/blog/2010-special-301

Exceptions and Limitations in Indian Copyright Law for Education: An Assessment
This paper examines the nature of exceptions and limitations in copyright law for the purposes of the use of copyrighted materials for education. It looks at the existing national and international regime, and argues for why there is a need for greater exceptions and limitations to address the needs of developing countries. The paper contextualizes the debate by looking at the high costs of learning materials and the impediment caused to e-learning and distance education by strong copyright regimes.
http://cis-india.org/advocacy/ipr/blog/exceptions-and-limitations

Technological Protection Measures in the Copyright (Amendment) Bill, 2010
In this post Pranesh Prakash conducts a legal exegesis of section 65A of the Copyright (Amendment) Bill, 2010, which deals with the stuff that enables 'Digital Rights/Restrictions Management', i.e., Technological Protection Measures. He notes that while the provision avoids some mistakes of the American law, it still poses grave problems to consumers, and that there are many uncertainties in it still.
http://cis-india.org/advocacy/ipr/blog/tpm-copyright-amendment

Telecom

China Club instead of Bombay Club?
Emulate China's coordinated policies for strategic sectors, and we'll rely less on commodity exports, says Shyam Ponappa in his article in the Business Standard on May 13, 2010.
http://cis-india.org/advocacy/telecom/blog/China-club-Bombay-club