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The Web of Our Strife
At the 66th session of the UN General Assembly, India proposed the formation of a Committee on Internet-Related Policies (CIRP) to address what it sees as a policy vacuum in internet governance.
A Ludicrous Ban
Achal Prabhala and Lawrence Liang have written an article for the Open Magazine about the bizarre ways in which the Internet is regulated in 21st century India.
An FAQ on the Copyright Amendment Bill, 2012, for the Benefit of Persons with Disabilities
The Copyright Amendment Bill 2012 introduced certain provisions for the benefit of persons with disabilities and as it has been passed by both houses of parliament (By the Rajya Sabha on May 17, 2012 and the Lok Sabha on May 22, 2012).
Beyond Sharing: Towards our Digital Futures
The battle is not about file sharing and a petty film producer wanting to rake in the box office earnings. It is about the law’s incapacity to deal with post-analogue practices and processes.
Design!PubliC — Third Conclave in New Delhi
On the 20th of April 2012, the third Design Public Conclave, organized by the Center for Knowledge Societies in collaboration with IBM, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Google and the Centre for Internet and Society, was held at the National Museum, New Delhi. The Conclave brought together thought-leaders and decision makers from the government, the media, multinational organizations and academic institutions for a conversation about transforming India into an Innovation Society.
Copyright Amendments – Empowering the Print Disabled
The much anticipated Copyright Amendment Bill, 2012 was passed with a few changes in the Rajya Sabha on 17th May 2012 after a very spirited debate and passed by the Lok Sabha on the 22nd May 2012 with unanimous consensus.
Digitally Analogue
Why there is nothing strictly analogue anymore, examines Nishant Shah in this column that he wrote for the Indian Express.
Google Policy Fellowship Programme: Call for Applications
The Centre for Internet & Society (CIS) is inviting applications for the Google Policy Fellowship programme. Google is providing a USD 7,500 stipend to the India Fellow, who will be selected by August 15, 2012.
The Coming Telecom Monopoly
The 2G judgment and Trai spectrum pricing recommendations have led to a policy that makes sense for only one survivor.
Letter for Civil Society Involvement in WCIT
This page features a letter from academics and civil society groups from around the world to International Telecommunication Union Secretary-General Dr. Hamadoun Touré regarding the lack of opportunity for civil society participation in the World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT) process.
The Private Eye
The world’s largest digital social networking system, oh ok, Facebook, to just name names, was recently in a lot of buzz.
We Are All Cyborgs
The cyborg reminds us that who we are as human beings is very closely linked with the technologies we use.
Copyright Madness
Prompted by courts and piracy-fearing businesses, Indian ISPs have taken down popular, legitimate websites. This Op-ed by Lawrence Liang and Achal Prabhala was published in the Indian Express on May 22, 2012.
Open letter to Kolaveri Di makers: How Dare You!
When it comes to piracy, you are sure to have an opinion. You might either make a virtue out of it, talking about cultural commons and collaborative conditions of production. Or you might vilify it as the social fault-line that is destroying the very pillars of commerce and cultural negotiations.
Analysis of the Copyright (Amendment) Bill 2012
There are some welcome provisions in the Copyright (Amendment) Bill 2012, and some worrisome provisions. Pranesh Prakash examines five positive changes, four negative ones, and notes the several missed opportunities. The larger concern, though, is that many important issues have not been addressed by these amendments, and how copyright policy is made without evidence and often out of touch with contemporary realities of the digital era.
Cancel the Subscription
It has been a slow but steady move to make scholarship freely available, writes Prof. Arunachalam in an article published by the Indian Express on May 8, 2012.
2012 Global Congress on Intellectual Property and the Public Interest: Call for Participation and Save the Date
The Second Global Congress on Intellectual Property and the Public Interest will take place in FGV Law School, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil from December 15 to 17, 2012. The theme for this year’s Congress will be “Setting the positive agenda in motion.” We invite applications to attend the Congress, including proposals to chair workshops or deliver a paper or presentation related to the Congress’s theme.
China 3: Build Comprehensive Ecosystems
Failures in electricity, transport and broadband have common strands. China's approach offers a possible alternative. Shyam Ponappa's column was published in the Business Standard on April 5, 2012.
Arduino Introductory Workshop at CIS
The Centre for Internet & Society organised a hands-on-free Arduino workshop in its office on March 3, 2012. Video is now online!
ITU Tutorial on Audiovisual Media Accessibility
The fourth meeting of the ITU-T Focus Group on Audio Visual Media Accessibility (FG AVA) took place at the India International Centre, New Delhi on March 13, 2012. The meeting was held in furtherance to an invitation of the Centre for Internet & Society (CIS), in cooperation with the ITU-APT Foundation of India. A two-day tutorial on Audio-Visual Media Accessibility followed the meeting on March 14 and 15, 2012 at the same venue. A total of 20 people participated in this event.
