The Centre for Internet and Society
https://cis-india.org
These are the search results for the query, showing results 1421 to 1435.
A Guide to the Proposed India-European Union FTA
https://cis-india.org/a2k/publications/CIS%20Open%20Data%20Case%20Studies%20Proposal.pdf
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<p>
For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/a2k/publications/CIS%20Open%20Data%20Case%20Studies%20Proposal.pdf'>https://cis-india.org/a2k/publications/CIS%20Open%20Data%20Case%20Studies%20Proposal.pdf</a>
</p>
No publishergloverPublicationsAccess to Knowledge2011-08-22T13:22:50ZFileExceptions and Limitations for Education
https://cis-india.org/a2k/publications/exceptions-limitations-education
<b>Lawrence Liang examines the exceptions and limitations in copyright law in this article.</b>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/a2k/publications/exceptions-limitations-education'>https://cis-india.org/a2k/publications/exceptions-limitations-education</a>
</p>
No publisherpraskrishnaAccess to Knowledge2011-08-22T13:22:35ZFilePhotocopying the past
https://cis-india.org/a2k/blogs/photocopying-the-past
<b>There is no single correct position when it comes to intellectual property or IP. In fact, there are at least five correct positions that you could possibly adopt based on who you are — a pro-creator position, a pro-entrepreneur position, a pro-government position, a pro-consumer position and a public interest position.</b>
<p>Therefore, before you progress any further, dear reader, you have to first decide which of the above you are. If you are an average Indian, then you are almost certainly a consumer or a member of the general public. Next, it would only be fair for me to tell you when I am coming from: I work for a policy research organisation that focuses on protecting consumer and public interest in the digital era. Before I proceed any further, also note that not all creators prefer profits to public adulation and therefore creators’ interests are not necessarily always opposed to consumer and public interest.</p>
<p>At this point, popular imagination is captivated by meta-regulation, issues of corruption and transparency. Few seem interested in the configuration details of property regimes that we are all implicated in: tangible property, capital and, in our increasingly dematerialised world, intangible property such as IP or spectrum. Unfortunately the complications of spectrum, banking and IP make our eyes glaze over and there is almost zero attention being paid to the copyright act amendment to be discussed in Parliament this week.</p>
<p>For the government, achieving a compromise is the primary objective, and then, perhaps a distant second, raising taxes. This is not a static compromise, since each generation of new technologies precipitates a new round of negotiations between the stakeholders. So while it is easy to be Anna Hazare, it is difficult to be Kapil Sibal. An optimal compromise position as in the world of capital and tangible property protects the production, circulation and consumption of IP. A sub-optimal position results in practices that are in conflict with policy — anti-competitive behaviour or infringement.</p>
<p>Unfortunately when it comes to evidence-based policy-making, there is little funding for public interest IP research in India and the pockets of the lobbyists of rights-holders are deep. The funded research that they tout claims that government loses significant taxes because of piracy or non-maximalist IP policies. Yet rights-holders, especially multinationals in the software business, are experts at tax avoidance through techniques with names like the “Double Irish” and the “Dutch Sandwich”.</p>
<p>Like any compromise, the latest amendment is a mixed bag for consumers and the general public. With regard to “digital rights management,” — or what consumers’ advocates refer to as “digital restrictions management” — the government has yielded to the TRIPS-plus agenda even though it is not a signatory to the WIPO Internet treaties. And with regard to the exception for the disabled, the Indian exception is both disability- and works-neutral making it much more robust when compared to the treaty for the visually impaired currently being discussed at the WIPO.</p>
<p>However, one particular compromise — the volte-face on Section 2 (m) on parallel imports of books — is particularly distressing for book-lovers and students. As part of the latest amendment, this new section was introduced in 2009. The standing committee report gave the section a thumbs-up, but strangely it has gone missing in the latest version of the bill circulated to the MPs in preparation for the Rajya Sabha debate this Friday.</p>
<p>Section 2 (m) is a provision that would have saved us from the uncertainty created by what some consider flawed jurisprudence around parallel importation of copyrighted works. As the standing committee report on the copyright amendment puts it, “nobody can deny the fact that the interests of students will be best protected if they have access to the latest editions of the books.” To date, I have never met an IIT or IIM graduate untainted by photocopied books. I would claim that the lack of quality education in our country is still at the level of an epidemic. The indigenous publication industry has benefited from our progressive copyright regime.</p>
<p>Wouldn’t it be appropriate to afford them maximum flexibility in a future rife with technological shifts? Are all the books that you wish to read available in the libraries and book shops you have access to? Have you ever been forced to photocopy a book because of time constraints? Would you like to see greater choice via increased free-market competition, and reduced state-sanctioned monopolies and enforcement? Does your definition of human rights include the “right to education” and the the “right to entertainment”? Shouldn’t the disabled in India benefit from the $500 million spent each year making books accessible in the US? And finally, shouldn’t a nation providing leadership to the development agenda at WIPO, walk the talk at home? If your answer to any of these questions is yes, you should demand that people are placed before the profits of foreign publishers.</p>
<p>This article by Sunil Abraham, Executive Director, Centre for Internet and Society was published in the Indian Express on 2 September 2011 in the Indian Express. Please read the original article <a class="external-link" href="http://www.indianexpress.com/news/photocopying-the-past/840461/1">here</a>.</p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/a2k/blogs/photocopying-the-past'>https://cis-india.org/a2k/blogs/photocopying-the-past</a>
</p>
No publishersunilIntellectual Property RightsAccess to Knowledge2011-09-25T20:06:50ZBlog EntryCopyright Amendment Bill in Parliament
https://cis-india.org/a2k/blogs/copyright-bill-parliament
<b>The Copyright Amendment Bill is expected to be presented in the Rajya Sabha by the Minister for Human Resource and Development, Kapil Sibal today afternoon. The much awaited Bill (since it has been in the offing since 2006) has undergone significant changes since its initial appearance.</b>
<p>Given below is a very quick first cut highlight of the Bill from a public interest perspective. A more detailed analysis will follow after the session discussions. </p>
<ul><li>Parallel imports: The parallel imports clause which had been put in as sec 2(m) has now been dropped from the present draft. This is a big setback because educational institutions, libraries and archives, second hand book, etc., were looking to this provision to bring down the prices and hasten the availability of books. This also affects persons with disabilities since they will be unable to import books in accessible formats.</li><li>Persons with disabilities: There are two provisions relating to persons with disabilities which have been introduced. Section 52 (1) (zb) relates to the conversion, reproduction, issues of copies or communication to the public of any work in any accessible format, provided that these activities are meant to enable access to persons with disabilities and sufficient safeguards are taken to ensure that these materials do not enter the mainstream market. This section in a sense is broader and more encompassing than some provisions found in other countries, which relate exclusively to the blind or visually impaired. This section would adequately cover persons with other disabilities who cannot read print. A new section 31B also provides for compulsory licensing for profit entities wishing to convert and distribute works in accessible formats, provided that they are primarily working for persons with disabilities and are registered under sec 12A of the Income Tax Act or under chapter X of the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995.</li><li>Many exceptions under 52 (1) (i) relating to fair dealing have been extended to all works except computer programmes. New sections 52 (1) (b) and (c) protect transient and incidental storage from being classified as infringing copies, which offers protection to entities such as online intermediaries. </li><li>The scope of compulsory licensing under sec 31 has been expanded from ‘any Indian work’ to ‘any work’. Three new sections 31 B, 31C and 31 D have been introduced. Section 31 B has already been described in the paragraph on persons with disabilities. Section 31 C lays down strict measures relating to statutory licensing in case of cover version, being a sound recording of a literary, dramatic or musical work. Section 31 D relates to statutory licenses for broadcasting organizations wishing to broadcast a literary or musical work or sound recording.</li><li>Non commercial public libraries can now store electronic copies of any non digital works they own (52(n)).</li><li>The new Bill introduces Technological protection measures (65A and 65B) and makes circumvention and distribution of works in which rights managements systems have been removed an offence which is punishable with imprisonment upto two years as well as fine. In addition the copyright owner can also avail of civil remedies. As such India is not really required to have these provisions in the copyright legislation since we are not yet a signatory to the WCT or the WPPT and such provisions will hamper consumer interests. </li><li>Terms of copyright have been increased significantly without reason, thus preventing works from falling into the public domain. For instance, the term of photographs has been increased from 60 years to life of the photographer plus 60 years. This is far in excess of the minimum term stipulated by international treaties. </li></ul>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/a2k/blogs/copyright-bill-parliament'>https://cis-india.org/a2k/blogs/copyright-bill-parliament</a>
</p>
No publishernirmitaIntellectual Property RightsCopyrightAccess to Knowledge2011-08-30T09:26:44ZBlog EntryGovt for Legalising Parallel Import of Copyright Works; Publishers Oppose
https://cis-india.org/a2k/blogs/govt-legalising-parallel-import-of-copyright-work
<b>Section 2(m) legalises the parallel imports of books and other copyrighted material into India and was part of the initial Copyright Amendment Bill introduced in the Parliament of India in 2010. </b>
<p>Section 2(m) reads as below:</p>
<blockquote class="webkit-indent-blockquote">
<div>"[P]rovided that a copy of a work published in any country outside India with the permission of the author of the work and imported from that country into India shall not be deemed to be an infringing copy."</div>
</blockquote>
<p>Unfortunately, the government did a sudden volte face owing to pressure from publisher lobbies and deleted it from the latest version of the Bill. The provision would have helped students gain access to the latest affordable versions of text books from around the world.</p>
<p>When the Bill was referred to a Parliamentary Standing Committee for review, the said Committee strongly supported the introduction of section 2(m) and stated as below:</p>
<blockquote class="webkit-indent-blockquote">
<p>"that availability of low priced books under the present regime is invariably confined to old editions. Nobody can deny the fact that the interests of students will be best protected if they have access to latest editions of the books."</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="webkit-indent-blockquote">
<p>"Nobody can deny the fact that the interests of students will be best protected if they have access to latest editions of the books. Thus, apprehensions about the flooding of the primary market with low priced editions, may be mis-founded as such a situation would be tackled by that country's law. The Committee would, however, like to put a note of caution to the government to ensure that the <strong>purpose for which the amendment is proposed i.e., to protect the interest of the students is not lost sight of</strong>."</p>
</blockquote>
<div class="pullquote"><span class="Apple-style-span">Despite the Standing Committees support, it is curious as to why the government dropped this provision, particularly when it would have tremendously helped a number of students gain access to latest low priced editions of text books from around the world. It ought not to have succumbed to the pressures of the publishing lobby.</span></div>
<p> </p>
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<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Empirical studies done on this count clearly demonstrate that publishers only introduce old versions of books in India. The latest versions have to be imported, and they are very expensive, often times costing more than what they cost in the US and EU. See the Economic Times article documenting this empirical study <a class="external-link" href="http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/opinion/policy/govt-for-legalising-parallel-import-of-copyright-works-publishers-oppose/articleshow/7723572.cms">here</a>.</p>
<p>Further, an easy right of import enables any third party to import books which could also then be made available in accessible formats to the visually impaired. </p>
<p class="callout">Download the Economic Times article by Shamnad Basheer <a href="https://cis-india.org/a2k/blogs/govt-legalising-parallel-import" class="internal-link" title="Govt for legalising parallel import of copyright works; publishers oppose">here</a>. [PDF, 470 Kb]</p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/a2k/blogs/govt-legalising-parallel-import-of-copyright-work'>https://cis-india.org/a2k/blogs/govt-legalising-parallel-import-of-copyright-work</a>
</p>
No publisherShamnad BasheerIntellectual Property RightsCopyrightAccess to Knowledge2011-08-30T10:19:35ZBlog EntryAugust 2011 Bulletin
https://cis-india.org/about/newsletters/august-2011-bulletin
<b>Greetings from the Centre for Internet and Society! In this issue we are pleased to present you the latest updates about our research, upcoming events, and news and media coverage:</b>
<h2><b>Researchers@Work</b></h2>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">RAW is a multidisciplinary research initiative. To build original research knowledge base, the RAW programme has been collaborating with different organisations and individuals to focus on its three year thematic of Histories of the Internets in India. Five monographs: <a href="https://cis-india.org/raw/histories-of-the-internet/blogs/rewiring-bodies/rewiring-call-for-review" target="_blank">Re: Wiring Bodies</a> by Asha Achuthan, <a href="https://cis-india.org/raw/histories-of-the-internet/blogs/archives-and-access/archive-and-access" target="_blank">Archive and Access</a> by Aparna Balachandran and Rochelle Pinto, <a href="https://cis-india.org/raw/histories-of-the-internet/blogs/pleasure-and-pornography/pornography-and-law" target="_blank">Porn: Law, Video, Technology</a> by Namita Malhotra, <a href="https://cis-india.org/raw/histories-of-the-internet/blogs/rethinking-the-last-mile-problem/last-mile-problem" target="_blank">The Last Cultural Mile</a> by Ashish Rajadhyaksha and <a href="https://cis-india.org/raw/histories-of-the-internet/blogs/internet-society-and-space-in-indian-cities/city-and-space" target="_blank">Internet, Society and Space in Indian Cities</a> by Pratyush Shankar were officially launched at the Locating Internets: Histories of the Internet(s) in India — Research Training and Curriculum Workshop in Ahmedabad.</p>
<h3>Workshop organised in CEPT, Ahmedabad</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/research/conferences/conference-blogs/workshop" target="_blank">Locating Internets: Histories of the Internet(s) in India — Research Training and Curriculum Workshop: Call for Participation</a> [19 to 22 August 2011]</li>
</ul>
<h2><b>Digital Natives with a Cause?</b></h2>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Digital Natives with a Cause? is a knowledge programme initiated by CIS and Hivos, Netherlands. It is a research inquiry that seeks to look at the changing landscape of social change and political participation and the role that young people play through digital and Internet technologies, in emerging information societies. Consolidating knowledge from Asia, Africa and Latin America, it builds a global network of knowledge partners who want to critically engage with the dominant discourse on youth, technology and social change, in order to look at the alternative practices and ideas in the Global South. It also aims at building new ecologies that amplify and augment the interventions and actions of the digitally young as they shape our futures.</p>
<h3>Featured Research</h3>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/digital-natives/stirrup-and-the-ground" target="_blank">Between the Stirrup and the Ground: Relocating Digital Activism</a> (This paper by Nishant Shah and Fieke Jansen was published in Democracy & Society, a publication of the Center for Democracy and Civil Society, Volume 8, Issue 2, Summer 2011).</li>
</ul>
<h2><b>Accessibility</b></h2>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Estimates of the percentage of the world's population that is disabled vary considerably. But what is certain is that if we count functional disability, then a large proportion of the world's population is disabled in one way or another. At CIS we work to ensure that the digital technologies, which empower disabled people and provide them with independence, are allowed to do so in practice and by the law. To this end, we support web accessibility guidelines, and change in copyright laws that currently disempower the persons with disabilities.</p>
<h3>Interview</h3>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/accessibility/interview-mada">An Interview with David Baines</a> (Maureen Agena interviewed David Baines of Mada Centre for Assistive Technology in Khattar).</li>
</ul>
<h2><b>Access to Knowledge</b></h2>
<h3>New Blog Entry</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/a2k/blog/govt-legalising-parallel-import-of-copyright-work" class="external-link">Govt for Legalising Parallel Import of Copyright Works; Publishers Oppose</a></li>
</ul>
<h2><b>Openness</b></h2>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">CIS believes that innovation and creativity should be fostered through openness and collaboration and is committed towards promotion of open standards, open access, and free/libre/open source software.</p>
<h3>Featured Research</h3>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/openness/blog/ogd-draft-v2-call-for-comments" target="_blank">Call for Comments on Draft Report on Open Government Data in India (v2)</a> (Nisha Thompson has updated the Open Government Data Report prepared by CIS last year including additional case studies and the National Data Sharing and Accessibility Policy).</li>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/openness/blog/open-access-to-scholarly-literature" target="_blank">Open Access to Scholarly Literature in India: A Status Report: Call for Comments</a> (The report has been prepared by Prof. Subbiah Arunachalam and Madhan Muthu. It surveys the field of scholarly and scientific publication in India and provides a detailed history of the open access movement in India).</li>
</ul>
<h2><b>Internet Governance</b></h2>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Although there may not be one centralized authority that rules the Internet, the Internet does not just run by its own volition: for it to operate in a stable and reliable manner, there needs to be in place infrastructure, a functional domain name system, ways to curtail cyber crime across borders, etc. The Tunis Agenda of the second World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), paragraph 34 defined Internet governance as “the development and application by governments, the private sector and civil society, in their respective roles, of shared principles, norms, rules, decision-making procedures, and programmes that shape the evolution and use of the Internet.” Its latest endeavour has resulted into these:</p>
<h3>New Blog Post</h3>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/bye-bye-email" target="_blank">Bye Bye email?</a> (Email might be the default method of communication for most of us, but could it be going the telegram way, writes Nishant Shah. The article was published in the Indian Express on August 21, 2011).</li>
</ul>
<h3>Public Lecture</h3>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/events/mirror-in-the-enigma" target="_blank">The Mirror in the Enigma: How Germany lost World War II to a Mathematical Theorem</a> (Rohit Gupta gave a lecture at CIS on August 12, 2011).</li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">CIS is doing a project, ‘Privacy in Asia’. <i>It is funded by Privacy International (PI), UK and the International Development Research Centre, Canada and is being administered in collaboration with the Society and Action Group, Gurgaon</i>. The two-year project commenced on 24 March 2010 and will be completed as agreed to by the stakeholders. It was set up with the objective of raising awareness, sparking civil action and promoting democratic dialogue around challenges and violations of privacy in India. In furtherance of these goals it aims to draft and promote over-arching privacy legislation in India by drawing upon legal and academic resources and consultations with the public.</p>
<h3>Featured Research</h3>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/ip-addresses-and-identity-disclosures" target="_blank">IP Addresses and Expeditious Disclosure of Identity in India</a> (Prashant Iyengar reviews the statutory mechanism regulating the retention and disclosure of IP addresses by Internet companies in India and provides a compilation of anecdotes on how law enforcement authorities in India have used IP address information to trace individuals responsible for particular crimes).</li>
</ul>
<h3>New Blog Entries<b> </b></h3>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/blog/privacy_wholebodyimagingcomparison" target="_blank">Whole Body Imaging and Privacy Concerns that Follow</a> (by Elonnai Hickok)</li>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/privacy_uidfinancialinclusion" target="_blank">Financial Inclusion and the UID</a> (by Elonnai Hickok) </li>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/blog/privacy/cctv-in-universities" target="_blank">CCTV in Universities</a> (by Merlin Oommen)</li>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/blog/privacy/key-escrow" target="_blank">Re-thinking Key Escrow</a> (by Natasha Vaz) </li>
</ul>
<h3>Event Report</h3>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/privacy-chennai-report.pdf/view?searchterm=Privacy%20Matters%20Chennai" target="_blank">Privacy Matters, Chennai</a> – the event was organised by IDRC, Society in Action Group, Madras Institute of Development Studies, Consumer and Civic Action Group, Privacy India and CIS on August 6, 2011. </li>
</ul>
<h2><b>News & Media Coverage</b></h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/net-gain" target="_blank">Net Gain</a> [The Telegraph, 24 August 2011]</li>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/iisc-students-boycott-uid" target="_blank">IISc students boycott UID, don’t want Big Brother to keep watch</a> [Bangalore Mirror, 23 August 2011]</li>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/right-circle" target="_blank">In the Right Circle</a> [Indian Express, 24 July 2011]</li>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/siege-of-android/?searchterm=%EF%82%A7The%20Siege%20of%20Android" target="_blank">The Siege of Android: How Google Lost The OS War</a> [Business.in, 17 August 2011]</li>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/unsocial-network" target="_blank">The Unsocial Network</a> [Mail Today, 14 August 2011]</li>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/hazare-clicks" target="_blank">Hazare 'clicks' with city techies</a> [India, 18 August 2011]</li>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/govt-to-monitor-facebook-twitter" target="_blank">Govt wants to monitor Facebook, Twitter</a> [Times of India, 8 August 2011]</li>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/nothing-unique-about-identity" target="_blank">Nothing unique about this identity</a> [Deccan Chronicle, 5 August 2011]</li>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/tired-of-tele-marketing-calls" target="_blank">Tired of tele-marketing calls? Act on privacy right: Experts</a> [Times of India, 7 August 2011]</li>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/knowledge-isnt-written" target="_blank">When Knowledge Isn’t Written, Does It Still Count?</a> [New York Times, 7 August 2011]</li>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/indian-super-cops-patrol-www-highway" target="_blank">Indian super-cops now patrol the www highway</a> [Hindustan Times, 6 August 2011]</li>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/better-understanding-of-privacy" target="_blank">Better Understanding of the Idea of Privacy Sought</a> [Hindu, 7 August 2011]</li>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/converting-indian-slacktivists" target="_blank">Converting Indian Slacktivists Takes (Offline) Time</a> [Wall Street Journal, 2 August 2011]</li>
</ul>
<h2>Follow us elsewhere</h2>
<ul>
<li>Get short, timely messages from us on <a href="http://twitter.com/cis_india" target="_blank">Twitter</a></li>
<li>Follow CIS on <a href="http://identi.ca/main/remote?nickname=cis" target="_blank">identi.ca</a></li>
<li>Join the CIS group on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=28535315687" target="_blank">Facebook</a></li>
<li>Visit us at <a href="http://www.cis-india.org/" target="_blank">www.cis-india.org</a></li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align: justify; "><i>CIS is grateful to Kusuma Trust which was founded by Anurag Dikshit and Soma Pujari, philanthropists of Indian origin, for its core funding and support for most of its projects.</i></p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/about/newsletters/august-2011-bulletin'>https://cis-india.org/about/newsletters/august-2011-bulletin</a>
</p>
No publisherpraskrishnaAccess to KnowledgeDigital NativesTelecomAccessibilityInternet GovernanceCISRAWOpenness2012-08-13T05:13:23ZPageJuly 2011 Bulletin
https://cis-india.org/about/newsletters/july-2011-bulletin
<b>Greetings from the Centre for Internet and Society! In this issue we are pleased to present you the latest updates about our research, upcoming events, and news and media coverage:</b>
<h2><b>Researchers@Work</b></h2>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">RAW is a multidisciplinary research initiative. To build original research knowledge base, the RAW programme has been collaborating with different organisations and individuals to focus on its three year thematic of Histories of the Internets in India. Five monographs: <a href="https://cis-india.org/research/cis-raw/histories/rewiring/rewiring-call-for-review" target="_blank">Re: Wiring Bodies</a> by Asha Achuthan, <a href="https://cis-india.org/research/cis-raw/histories/archives/the-archive-and-the-indian-historian/?searchterm=archive%20and%20access" target="_blank">Archive and Access</a> by Aparna Balachandran and Rochelle Pinto, <a href="https://cis-india.org/research/cis-raw/histories/pleasure-porno/pornography-and-law" target="_blank">Pornography and the Law</a> by Namita Malhotra, <a href="https://cis-india.org/research/cis-raw/histories/last-mile/last-mile-problem" target="_blank">The Leap of Rhodes or, How India Dealt with the Last Mile Problem – An Inquiry into Technology and Governance</a> by Ashish Rajadhyaksha and <a href="https://cis-india.org/research/cis-raw/histories/Internetcities/city-and-space" target="_blank">Internet, Society and Space in Indian Cities</a> by Pratyush Shankar were sent for peer review.</p>
<h3>Upcoming Event in CEPT, Ahmedabad</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/research/conferences/conference-blogs/workshop" target="_blank">Locating Internets: Histories of the Internet(s) in India — Research Training and Curriculum Workshop: Call for Participation</a> [Deadline for submission – 26 July 2011; Participants to be selected by 30 July 2011; Workshop from 19 to 22 August 2011]</li>
</ul>
<h2><b>Digital Natives with a Cause?</b></h2>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Digital Natives with a Cause? is a knowledge programme initiated by CIS and Hivos, Netherlands. It is a research inquiry that seeks to look at the changing landscape of social change and political participation and the role that young people play through digital and Internet technologies, in emerging information societies. Consolidating knowledge from Asia, Africa and Latin America, it builds a global network of knowledge partners who want to critically engage with the dominant discourse on youth, technology and social change, in order to look at the alternative practices and ideas in the Global South. It also aims at building new ecologies that amplify and augment the interventions and actions of the digitally young as they shape our futures.</p>
<h3>The Digital Natives Newsletter</h3>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">"Links in the Chain" is a bi-monthly publication which highlights the projects, ideas and news of the "Digital Natives with a Cause?" community members. It includes opinion posts by participants from the three workshops — <a href="https://cis-india.org/research/dn/talking-back/?searchterm=talking%20back" target="_blank">Talking Back</a> (Taipei, 15 – 18 August 2010), <a href="https://cis-india.org/research/dn/my-bubble-my-space-my-voice-workshop-perspective-and-future/?searchterm=my%20bubble" target="_blank">My Bubble, My Space, My Voice</a> (Johannesburg, 6 – 9 November 2010) and <a href="https://cis-india.org/research/dn/digital-natives-with-a-cause-workshop-in-santiago-open-call/?searchterm=santiago" target="_blank">From Face to the Interface</a> (Santiago, 8 – 10 February 2011) as well as the facilitators, interviews with them, comics and cartoons highlighting current issues affecting the community, as well as current news and discussions happening at the project website, <a href="http://www.digitalnatives.in" target="_blank">www.digitalnatives.in</a>.</p>
<ol>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/research/dn/2011/06/23/digital-dinosaurs" target="_blank">The Digital Dinosaurs</a> [Links in the Chain, Volume 7]</li>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/research/Mid-year%20Edition%20-%20Final.pdf" target="_blank">Special Mid Year Edition</a> [Links in the Chain, Volume 8]</li>
</ol>
<h2><b>Accessibility</b></h2>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Estimates of the percentage of the world's population that is disabled vary considerably. But what is certain is that if we count functional disability, then a large proportion of the world's population is disabled in one way or another. At CIS we work to ensure that the digital technologies, which empower disabled people and provide them with independence, are allowed to do so in practice and by the law. To this end, we support web accessibility guidelines, and change in copyright laws that currently disempower the persons with disabilities.</p>
<h3>Featured Research</h3>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/advocacy/accessibility/blog/accessibility-policy-international-perspective" target="_blank">Accessibility Policy Making: An International Perspective</a> (Revised Edition 2011) [A G3ict White Paper researched and edited by the Center for Internet and Society, Bangalore, India. Editor: Nirmita Narasimhan, Revised edition: May 2011]</li>
</ul>
<h2><b>Access to Knowledge (previously IPR Reform)</b></h2>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">CIS believes that access to knowledge and culture is essential as it promotes creativity and innovation and bridges the gaps between the developed and developing world positively. Hence, the campaigns for an international treaty on copyright exceptions for print-impaired, advocating against PUPFIP Bill, calls for the WIPO Broadcast Treaty to be restricted to broadcast, questioning the demonization of 'pirates', and supporting endeavours that explore and question the current copyright regime.</p>
<h3>Featured</h3>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/advocacy/ipr/blog/intermediary-liability-wipo-speech" target="_blank">Don't Shoot the Messenger: Speech on Intermediary Liability at 22nd SCCR of WIPO</a> (speech by Pranesh Prakash at a side-event co-organized from 15 to 24 June 2011, by WIPO and the Internet Society on intermediary liability).</li>
</ul>
<h2><b>Openness</b></h2>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">CIS believes that innovation and creativity should be fostered through openness and collaboration and is committed towards promotion of open standards, open access, and free/libre/open source software.</p>
<h3>Documentary</h3>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/advocacy/openness/blog/people-are-knowledge" target="_blank">People are Knowledge – Experimenting with Oral Citations on Wikipedia</a> (co-produced by CIS in association with the Wikimedia Foundation, on Oral Citations in India and South Africa)</li>
</ul>
<h3>Featured</h3>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/advocacy/openness/blog/opening-government-best-practice-guide" target="_blank">Opening Government: A Guide to Best Practice in Transparency, Accountability and Civic Engagement across the Public Sector</a> (published by Transparency & Accountability Initiative, CIS contributed the section on Open Government Data).</li>
</ul>
<h2><b>Internet Governance</b></h2>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Although there may not be one centralized authority that rules the Internet, the Internet does not just run by its own volition: for it to operate in a stable and reliable manner, there needs to be in place infrastructure, a functional domain name system, ways to curtail cyber crime across borders, etc. The Tunis Agenda of the second World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), paragraph 34 defined Internet governance as “the development and application by governments, the private sector and civil society, in their respective roles, of shared principles, norms, rules, decision-making procedures, and programmes that shape the evolution and use of the Internet.” Its latest endeavour has resulted into these:</p>
<h3>New Blog Post</h3>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/advocacy/igov/blog/2011/07/12/rti-and-third-party-info" target="_blank">RTI and Third Party Information: What Constitutes the Private and Public?</a> [by Noopur Raval]</li>
</ul>
<h3>Events Organised</h3>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/events/socio-financial-online-networks/?searchterm=Radhika%20Gajalla" target="_blank">Socio-financial Online Networks: Globalizing Micro-Credit through Micro-transactional Networked Platforms – A Public Lecture by Radhika Gajalla</a> [at CIS, Bangalore on 8 July 2011]</li>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/events/internet-surveillance-policy-lecture" target="_blank">Internet Surveillance Policy: “…the second time as farce?” – A Public Lecture by Caspar Bowden</a> [at TERI, Bangalore on 27 June 2011]</li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">CIS is doing a project, ‘Privacy in Asia’. <i>It is funded by Privacy International (PI), UK and the International Development Research Centre, Canada and is being administered in collaboration with the Society and Action Group, Gurgaon</i>. The two-year project commenced on 24 March 2010 and will be completed as agreed to by the stakeholders. It was set up with the objective of raising awareness, sparking civil action and promoting democratic dialogue around challenges and violations of privacy in India. In furtherance of these goals it aims to draft and promote over-arching privacy legislation in India by drawing upon legal and academic resources and consultations with the public.</p>
<h3>Featured</h3>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/advocacy/igov/privacy-india/2011/07/19/privacy-media-law" target="_blank">Privacy & Media Law</a> (by Sonal Makhija). The research examines the existing media norms governed by Press Council of India, the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 and the Code of Ethics drafted by the News Broadcasting Standard Authority, the constitutional protection guaranteed to an individual’s right to privacy upheld by the courts, and the reasons the State employs to justify the invasion of privacy.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Comments<b> </b></h3>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/advocacy/igov/privacy-india/privacy-bill-2010/?searchterm=%EF%82%A7Right%20to%20Privacy%20Bill%202010%20%E2%80%94%20A%20Few%20Comments" target="_blank">Right to Privacy Bill 2010 — A Few Comments</a> (by Elonnai Hickok). CIS has given specific recommendations and specific comments on the Right to Privacy Bill, 2010, which was introduced in the Rajya Sabha by Rajeev Chandrashekhar.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Event Report</h3>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/advocacy/igov/privacy-india/2011/07/21/privacy-guwahati-report" target="_blank">Privacy Matters, Guwahati</a> – the event was organised by IDRC, Society in Action Group, IDEA Chirang, an NGO initiative working with grassroots initiatives in Assam, Privacy India and CIS on 23 June 2011. </li>
</ul>
<h3>New Blog Entries</h3>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/advocacy/igov/privacy-india/2011/07/15/scam-baiting" target="_blank">My Experiment with Scam Baiting</a> (by Sahana Sarkar)</li>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/advocacy/igov/privacy-india/2011/07/18/when-data-is-privacy" target="_blank">When Data Means Privacy, What Traces Are You Leaving Behind?</a> (by Noopur Raval)</li>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/advocacy/igov/privacy-india/2011/07/23/video-surveillance-privacy" target="_blank">Video Surveillance and Its Impact on the Right to Privacy</a> (by Elonnai Hickok)</li>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/advocacy/igov/privacy-india/2011/07/23/consumer-privacy-e-commerce" target="_blank">Consumer Privacy in e-Commerce</a> (by Sahana Sarkar)</li>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/advocacy/igov/privacy-india/2011/07/24/dna-overview" target="_blank">An Overview of DNA Labs in India</a> (by Shilpa Narani)</li>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/advocacy/igov/privacy-india/uid-nothing-to-hide-fear/weblogentry_view" target="_blank">UID: Nothing to Hide, Nothing to Fear?</a> (by Shilpa Narani)</li>
</ul>
<h2><b>News & Media Coverage</b></h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/failure-to-harness-power-of-net" target="_blank">Indian SMEs still fail to harness the power of Net</a> [Sunday Guardian, 19 June 2011]</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/sorry-wrong-number" target="_blank">Sorry Wrong Number</a> [Telegraph, 3 July 2011]</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/aadhaar-truth" target="_blank">Aadhaar’s moment of truth</a> [Deccan Herald, 5 July 2011]</li>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/walls-have-ears" target="_blank">The Walls Have Ears</a> [Outlook, issue, 11 July 2011]</li>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/transparent-government-india" target="_blank">Transparent Government, via Webcams in India</a> [New York Times, 17 July 2011]; news also published in other languages in <a href="http://www.wprost.pl/ar/253803/Truman-show-w-indyjskim-rzadzie/" target="_blank">wprost</a> (Polish), <a href="http://www.ictnews.vn/Home/thoi-su/An-Do-lap-camera-de-chong-tham-nhung/2011/07/2MSVC7185287/View.htm" target="_blank">ictnews</a> (Vietnamese) and <a href="http://www.arretsurimages.net/vite.php?id=11710" target="_blank">@rret sur images</a>(French)</li>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/nyt-lauds-oommen-chandy" target="_blank">NYT lauds Oommen Chandy’s 24/7 office webcast</a> [Deccan Chronicle, 19 July 2011]</li>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/uid-worlds-largest-database" target="_blank">UID: The World’s Largest Biometric Database</a> [International School on Digital Transformation, 21 July 2011]. Sunil Abraham made a <a href="https://cis-india.org/advocacy/igov/uid-largest-database" target="_blank">presentation</a>.</li>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/facebook-my-lousy-boyfriend" target="_blank">Facebook, my boyfriend is lousy</a> [Bangalore Mirror, 24 July 2011]</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/portugal-well-for-transparency" target="_blank">Portal augurs well for transparency</a> [The Hindu, 25 July 2011] </li>
</ul>
<h2>Follow us elsewhere</h2>
<ul>
<li>Get short, timely messages from us on <a href="http://twitter.com/cis_india" target="_blank">Twitter</a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Follow CIS on <a href="http://identi.ca/main/remote?nickname=cis" target="_blank">identi.ca</a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Join the CIS group on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=28535315687" target="_blank">Facebook</a></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Visit us at <a href="http://www.cis-india.org/" target="_blank">www.cis-india.org</a></li>
</ul>
<p><i>CIS is grateful to Kusuma Trust which was founded by Anurag Dikshit and Soma Pujari, philanthropists of Indian origin, for its core funding and support for most of its projects.</i></p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/about/newsletters/july-2011-bulletin'>https://cis-india.org/about/newsletters/july-2011-bulletin</a>
</p>
No publisherpraskrishnaAccess to KnowledgeDigital NativesTelecomAccessibilityInternet GovernanceCISRAWOpenness2012-07-30T07:00:26ZPageDon't Shoot the Messenger: Speech on Intermediary Liability at 22nd SCCR of WIPO
https://cis-india.org/a2k/blogs/intermediary-liability-wipo-speech
<b>This is a speech made by Pranesh Prakash at an side-event co-organized by the World Intellectual Property Organization and the Internet Society on intermediary liability, to coincide with the release of Prof. Lillian Edwards's WIPO-commissioned report on 'Role and Responsibility of the Internet Intermediaries in the Field of Copyright'.</b>
<p>Good afternoon. I've been asked to provide a user's perspective to the question of intermediary liability. "In what cases should an Internet intermediary—a messenger—be held liable for the doings of a third party?" is the broad question. I believe that in answering that question we can be guided by two simple principles: As long as intermediaries don't exercise direct editorial control, they should not be held liable; and as long as they don't instigate or encourage the illegal activity, they should not be held liable. In all other cases, attacking Internet intermediaries generally a sign of 'shooting the messenger'.
General intermediary liability and intermediary liability for copyright infringement share a common philosophical foundation, and so I will talk about general intermediary liability first.</p>
<p>While going about holding intermediaries liable, we must remember that what is at stake here is the fact that intermediaries are a necessary component of ensuring freedom of speech and self-expression on the World Wide Web. In this regard, we must keep in mind the joint declaration issued by <a href="http://www.cidh.oas.org/relatoria/showarticle.asp?artID=848&lID=1">four freedom of expression rapporteurs under the aegis of the Organization of American States on June 1, 2011</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Intermediary Liability</p>
<p>a. No one who simply provides technical Internet services such as providing access, or searching for, or transmission or caching of information, should be liable for content generated by others, which is disseminated using those services, as long as they do not specifically intervene in that content or refuse to obey a court order to remove that content, where they have the capacity to do so (‘mere conduit principle’).</p>
<p>b. Consideration should be given to insulating fully other intermediaries, including those mentioned in the preamble, from liability for content generated by others under the same conditions as in paragraph 2(a). At a minimum, intermediaries should not be required to monitor user-generated content and should not be subject to extra-judicial content takedown rules which fail to provide sufficient protection for freedom of expression (which is the case with many of the ‘notice and takedown’ rules currently being applied).</p>
</blockquote>
<p>It is useful to keep in mind what the kind of liability we affix on offline intermediaries: Would we hold a library responsible for unlawful material that a user has placed on its shelves without its encouragement?</p>
<p>Ensuring a balanced system of intermediary liability is also very important in preserving the forms of innovations we have seen online. Ensuring that intermediaries aren't always held liable for what third parties do is an essential component of encouraging new models of participation, such as Wikipedia. While Wikipedia has community-set standards with regard to copyright, obscenity, and other such issues, holding the Wikimedia Foundation (which has only around 30-40 people) itself responsible for what millions of users write on Wikipedia will hamper such new models of peer-production. This point, unfortunately, has not prevented the Wikimedia Foundation being sued a great number of times in India, a large percentage of which take the form of SLAPP ('strategic lawsuit against public participation') cases, since if the real intention had been to remove the offending content, editing Wikipedia is an easy enough way of achieving that.</p>
<p>While searching for these balanced solutions, we need to look beyond Europe, and look at how countries like Chile, Brazil, India and others are looking at these issues. Unfortunately, this being Geneva, most of the people I see represented in this room are from the developed world as are the examples we are discussing (France and Spain).</p>
<p>In India, for instance, the Internet Service Providers Association made it clear in 2006 (when there was an outcry over censorship of blogging platforms) that they do not want to be responsible for deciding whether something about which they have received a complaint is unlawful or not.</p>
<p>With respect to copyright and the Internet, while the Internet allows for copyright infringement to be conducted more easily, it also allows for copyright infringement to be spotted more easily. Earlier, if someone copied, it would be difficult to find out. Now that is not so. So, that balance is already ingrained, and while many in the industry focus on the fact of easier infringement and thus ask for increased legal protection, such increase in legal protection is not required since the same technological factors that enable increased infringement also enable increased ability to know about that infringement.</p>
<p>On the Internet, intermediaries sometimes engage in primary infringement due to the very nature of digital technology. In the digital sphere, everything is a copy. Thus, whenever you're working on a computer, copies of the copyrighted that show up on your screen are automatically copied to your computer's RAM. Whenever you download anything from the Internet, copies of it are created en route to your computer. (That is the main reason that exceptions in the copyright laws of most countries that allow you to re-sell a book you own don't apply to electronic books.) In such a case, intermediaries must be specially protected. </p>
<p>Additionally, online activities that we take for granted, for instance search technologies, violate the copyright law of most countries. For online search technology to be reasonably fast (instead of taking hours for each search), the searching has to be done on a copies (cache) of actual websites instead of the actual websites. For image searching, it would be unreasonable to expect search companies to take licences for all the images they allow you to search through. Yet, not doing so might violate the copyright laws of many countries. No one, or so one would think, would argue that search engines should be made illegal, but in some countries copyright law is being used to attack intermediaries.</p>
<p>As noted above, intermediaries are a necessary part of online free speech. Current methods of regulating copyright infringement by users via intermediaries online may well fall afoul of internationally accepted standards of human rights. Frank La Rue, the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression in <a href="http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/docs/17session/A.HRC.17.27_en.pdf">his recent report to the UN Human Rights Council</a> stated:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>While blocking and filtering measures deny access to certain content on the Internet, States have also taken measures to cut off access to the Internet entirely. </p>
<p>The Special Rapporteur is deeply concerned by discussions regarding a centralized “on/off” control over Internet traffic. In addition, he is alarmed by proposals to disconnect users from Internet access if they violate intellectual property rights. This also includes legislation based on the concept of “graduated response”, which imposes a series of penalties on copyright infringers that could lead to suspension of Internet service, such as the so-called “three-strikes law” in France and the Digital Economy Act 2010 of the United Kingdom.</p>
<p>Beyond the national level, the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) has been proposed as a multilateral agreement to establish international standards on intellectual property rights enforcement. While the provisions to disconnect individuals from Internet access for violating the treaty have been removed from the final text of December 2010, the Special Rapporteur remains watchful about the treaty’s eventual implications for intermediary liability and the right to freedom of expression.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>With respect to graduated response, there is very little that one can add to Prof. Edwards's presentation. I would like to add one further suggestion that Prof. Ed Felten originally put forward as a 'modest proposal': Corporations which make or facilitate three wrongful accusations should face the same penalty as the users who are accused thrice.
The recent US strategy of seizing websites even before trial has been sufficiently criticised, so I shall not spend my time on it.</p>
<p>I still have not seen any good evidence as to why for other kinds of primary or secondary liability incurred by online intermediaries the procedure for offline copyright infringement should not apply, since they are usually crafted taking into account principles of natural justice.</p>
<p>The only 'international' and slightly troublesome issue that a resolution is needed to is that of problems relating to different jurisdiction’s laws applying on a single global network. However, this question is much larger one that of copyright and a copyright-specific solution cannot be found. Thus WIPO is not the right forum for the redress of that problem.</p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/a2k/blogs/intermediary-liability-wipo-speech'>https://cis-india.org/a2k/blogs/intermediary-liability-wipo-speech</a>
</p>
No publisherpraneshIntermediary LiabilityIntellectual Property RightsCopyrightAccess to Knowledge2012-06-01T15:01:08ZBlog EntryJune 2011 Bulletin
https://cis-india.org/about/newsletters/june-2011-bulletin
<b>Greetings from the Centre for Internet and Society! In this issue we are pleased to present you the latest updates about our research, upcoming events, and news and media coverage:</b>
<h2><b>Researchers@Work</b></h2>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">RAW is a multidisciplinary research initiative. CIS believes that in order to understand the contemporary concerns in the field of Internet and society, it is necessary to produce local and contextual accounts of the interaction between the Internet and socio-cultural and geo-political structures. To build original research knowledge base, the RAW programme has been collaborating with different organisations and individuals to focus on its three year thematic of Histories of the Internets in India. Six monographs Rewiring Bodies, Archive and Access, Pornography and the Law, The Leap of Rhodes or, How India Dealt with the Last Mile Problem - An Inquiry into Technology and Governance, Transparency and Politics and Internet, Society and Space in Indian Cities are published online and will be launched later this year.</p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/research/cis-raw/histories/Internetcities/cept-centre-for-role-of-internet">CEPT to Set up Centre to Research Role of Internet in Social Development</a> [Published in the Indian Express on June 18, 2011]</li>
</ul>
<h3>Upcoming Event in CEPT, Ahmedabad</h3>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/research/conferences/conference-blogs/workshop">Locating Internets: Histories of the Internet(s) in India — Research Training and Curriculum Workshop: Call for Participation</a> [Deadline for submission – 15 July 2011; Workshop from 19 to 22 August 2011]</li>
</ul>
<p><b> </b></p>
<h2><b>Digital Natives with a Cause?</b></h2>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Digital Natives with a Cause? is a knowledge programme initiated by CIS and Hivos, Netherlands. It is a research inquiry that seeks to look at the changing landscape of social change and political participation and the role that young people play through digital and Internet technologies, in emerging information societies. Consolidating knowledge from Asia, Africa and Latin America, it builds a global network of knowledge partners who want to critically engage with the dominant discourse on youth, technology and social change, in order to look at the alternative practices and ideas in the Global South. It also aims at building new ecologies that amplify and augment the interventions and actions of the digitally young as they shape our futures.</p>
<h3>The Digital Natives Newsletter</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/research/dn/digital-dinosaurs/weblogentry_view">The Digital Dinosaurs</a> [Volume 5]</li>
</ul>
<h2><b> Pathways</b></h2>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">HE Cell's initiative on social justice, in collaboration with CIS, has initiated the Pathways Project for Learning in Higher Education. It is supported by the Ford Foundation. Under this project, nine under-graduate colleges in different parts of India will be identified to provide special skills in livelihood, knowledge and technology to underprivileged students in those colleges.</p>
<h3>New Blog Entry</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/research/grants/pathways-project/pathways-proposal-info/weblogentry_view">Pathways for Learning in Higher Education</a> </li>
</ul>
<h2><b>Accessibility</b></h2>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Estimates of the percentage of the world's population that is disabled vary considerably. But what is certain is that if we count functional disability, then a large proportion of the world's population is disabled in one way or another. At CIS we work to ensure that the digital technologies, which empower disabled people and provide them with independence, are allowed to do so in practice and by the law. To this end, we support web accessibility guidelines, and change in copyright laws that currently disempower the persons with disabilities.</p>
<h3>New Blog Entries</h3>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/advocacy/accessibility/blog/2011/06/21/communications-and-video-accessibility">Policy Spotlight: 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act</a> [Written by Deepti Bharthur; contains an e-mail interview with Jenifer Simpson, Senior Director for Government Affairs and head of the Telecommunications & Technology Policy Initiative at the American Association of People with Disabilities ]</li>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/advocacy/accessibility/blog/2011/06/13/ict-sri-lanka">ICT Accessibility in Sri Lanka</a> [Written by Nirmita Narasimhan]</li>
</ul>
<h2><b>Intellectual Property</b></h2>
<p>CIS believes that access to knowledge and culture is essential as it promotes creativity and innovation and bridges the gaps between the developed and developing world positively. Hence, the campaigns for an international treaty on copyright exceptions for print-impaired, advocating against PUPFIP Bill, calls for the WIPO Broadcast Treaty to be restricted to broadcast, questioning the demonization of 'pirates', and supporting endeavours that explore and question the current copyright regime.</p>
<h3>Statement</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/advocacy/ipr/blog/sccr-22ndsession-cis-statement">Statement of CIS, India, on the WIPO Broadcast Treaty at the 22nd SCCR</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>New Blog Entry</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/advocacy/ipr/blog/lid-on-royalty-outflows">Putting a Lid on Royalty Outflows — How the RBI can Help Reduce your IP Costs</a> [Written by Sanjana Govil]</li>
</ul>
<p><b> </b></p>
<h2><b>Openness</b></h2>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">CIS believes that innovation and creativity should be fostered through openness and collaboration and is committed towards promotion of open standards, open access, and free/libre/open source software.</p>
<h3>Submission</h3>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/advocacy/openness/blog/2011/06/08/draft-ndsap-comments">Comments on the draft National Data Sharing and Accessibility Policy</a> [submitted to the National Spatial Data Infrastructure]</li>
</ul>
<p><b> </b></p>
<h2><b>Internet Governance</b></h2>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Although there may not be one centralized authority that rules the Internet, the Internet does not just run by its own volition: for it to operate in a stable and reliable manner, there needs to be in place infrastructure, a functional domain name system, ways to curtail cyber crime across borders, etc. The Tunis Agenda of the second World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), paragraph 34 defined Internet governance as “the development and application by governments, the private sector and civil society, in their respective roles, of shared principles, norms, rules, decision-making procedures, and programmes that shape the evolution and use of the Internet.” Its latest endeavour has resulted into these:</p>
<h3>New Articles</h3>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/advocacy/igov/blog/the-present-and-future-dangers-of-indias-draconian-new-internet-regulations/weblogentry_view">The Present — and Future — Dangers of India's Draconian New Internet Regulations</a> [By Anja Kovacs in the Caravan on June 1, 2011]</li>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/advocacy/igov/blog/big-brother-watching-you/weblogentry_view">Big Brother is Watching You</a> [By Sunil Abraham in Deccan Herald on June 1, 2011]</li>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/advocacy/igov/blog/2011/06/08/digital-is-political">The Digital is Political</a> [By Nishant Shah in Down to Earth, Issue of June 15, 2011]</li>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/advocacy/igov/blog/want-to-be-watched/weblogentry_view">Do You Want to be Watched?</a> [By Sunil Abraham in Pragati on June 8, 2011]</li>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/advocacy/igov/blog/2011/06/09/snooping-to-data-abuse">Snooping Can Lead to Data Abuse</a> [By Sunil Abraham in Mail Today on June 9, 2011]</li>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/advocacy/igov/blog/2011/06/22/privacy-and-security">Privacy and Security Can Co-exist</a> [By Sunil Abraham in Mail Today on June 21, 2011]</li>
</ul>
<h3>Column in Indian Express</h3>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Nishant Shah, Director-Research will be writing a series of columns on Internet and Society issues:</p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/advocacy/igov/blog/2011/06/08/password-in-hindi">Say 'Password' in Hindi</a> [By Nishant Shah in the Indian Express, May 15, 2011]</li>
</ul>
<h3>Upcoming Event</h3>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/events/socio-financial-online-networks">Socio-financial Online Networks: Globalizing Micro-Credit through Micro-transactional Networked Platforms – A Public Lecture by Radhika Gajalla</a> [at the Centre for Internet and Society, Bangalore, July 8, 2011]</li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">CIS is doing a project, ‘Privacy in Asia’. <i>It is funded by Privacy International (PI), UK and the International Development Research Centre, Canada and is being administered in collaboration with the Society and Action Group, Gurgaon</i>. The two-year project commenced on 24 March 2010 and will be completed as agreed to by the stakeholders. It was set up with the objective of raising awareness, sparking civil action and promoting democratic dialogue around challenges and violations of privacy in India. In furtherance of these goals it aims to draft and promote over-arching privacy legislation in India by drawing upon legal and academic resources and consultations with the public.</p>
<h3>Featured Research</h3>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/advocacy/igov/privacy-india/2011/06/14/copyright-enforcement">Copyright Enforcement and Privacy in India</a> [Written by Prashant Iyengar]</li>
</ul>
<h3>New Articles<b> </b></h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/advocacy/igov/privacy-india/2011/06/04/street-view-of-private-and-public">A Street View of Private and the Public</a> [By Prashant Iyengar in Tehelka on June 4, 2011]</li>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/advocacy/igov/privacy-india/blind-man-view-of-elephunt%20/?searchterm=The%20new%20Right%20to%20Privacy%20Bill%202011%20%E2%80%94%20A%20Blind%20Man%27s%20View%20of%20the%20Elephunt">The new Right to Privacy Bill 2011 — A Blind Man's View of the Elephunt</a> [By Prashant Iyengar in Privacy India website on June 8, 2011]</li>
</ul>
<h3>New Blog Entry</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/advocacy/igov/privacy-india/2011/06/03/bloggers-rights-and-privacy">Bloggers' Rights Subordinated to Rights of Expression: Cyber Law Expert</a></li>
</ul>
<p><b> </b></p>
<h3>Event organised in Guwahati</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/advocacy/igov/privacy-guwahati-conference.pdf/view">Privacy matters</a> [Donbosco Institute, Kharguli, Guwahati, June 23, 2011]</li>
</ul>
<h3>Upcoming Events</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/events/internet-surveillance-policy-lecture">Internet Surveillance Policy: “…the second time as farce?” – A Public Lecture by Caspar Bowden</a> [TERI, Bangalore, June 27, 2011]</li>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/events/privacy-matters-hyderabad">Privacy Matters - A Public Conference in Hyderabad</a> [Osmania University Center for International Program, Hyderabad, July 9, 2011]</li>
</ul>
<h2><b>Telecom</b></h2>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">The growth in telecommunications in India has been impressive. While the potential for growth and returns exist, a range of issues need to be addressed for this potential to be realized. One aspect is more extensive rural coverage and the second aspect is a countrywide access to broadband which is low at about eight million subscriptions. Both require effective and efficient use of networks and resources, including spectrum. It is imperative to resolve these issues in the common interest of users and service providers. CIS campaigns to facilitate this:</p>
<h3>Articles by Shyam Ponappa</h3>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Shyam Ponappa is a Distinguished Fellow at CIS. He writes regularly on Telecom issues in the Business Standard and these articles are mirrored on the CIS website as well.</p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/advocacy/telecom/blog/2011/06/08/ntp-2011-objective">NTP 2011 Objective: Broadband</a> [published in the Business Standard on June 2, 2011]</li>
</ul>
<h2><b>Miscellaneous</b></h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/notices/technology-transparency-accountability">Technology, Transparency and Accountability: A Bar-Camp in Delhi</a> [June 5, 2011, Delhi]</li>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/notices/communication-policy-advocacy-technology-and-online-freedom-of-expression-a-toolkit-for-media-development">Communication Policy Advocacy, Technology, and Online Freedom of Expression: A Toolkit for Media Development</a> [June 20 – July 1, 2011, Budapest, Hungary]</li>
</ul>
<p><b> </b></p>
<h2><b>News & Media Coverage</b></h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/cyber-space-hackers-paradise">Your cyber space is a hackers paradise</a> [Mail Today, June 6, 2011]</li>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/centaur-reveals-personal-info">Centaur website reveals guests' personal info</a> [Times of India, June 20, 2011]</li>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/seamier-side-of-texting">Mumbai Takes Note of Sexting, the Seamier Side of Texting</a> [Times of India, June 19, 2011]</li>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/state-just-did-to-you">Look what the state just did to you</a> [Mid Day, June 12, 2011]</li>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/india-e-tolerance">Tough neighbourhood tests India's e-tolerance</a> [Times of India, June 12, 2011]</li>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/looser-web-rules">India Weighing Looser Web Rules</a> [Wall Street Journal, May 30, 2011]</li>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/public-data-on-web">Public data on the Web leaves much to be desired</a> [Hindu, May 28, 2011]</li>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/aadhar-coming-to-bengaluru">What documents will you need, to get UID?</a> [CitizenMatters.in, May 28, 2011]</li>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/mobile-education-villages">Mobile education comes to villages</a> [Mail Today, May 27, 2011]</li>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/google-stalks-street">Google now stalks your street</a> [Hindu, May 27, 2011]</li>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/women-love-facebook">Women in love with Facebook</a> [Deccan Herald, May 27, 2011]</li>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/google-unveils-controversial-street-view">Google Unveils Controversial Street View Mapping in B’lore</a> [Economic Times, Mumbai, May 27, 2011]</li>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/e-g-8-report-internet-rights">NGOs say eG8 report must stress internet rights</a> [TELECOMPAPER, May 26, 2011]</li>
</ul>
<h2>Follow us elsewhere</h2>
<ul>
<li>Get short, timely messages from us on <a href="http://twitter.com/cis_india">Twitter</a></li>
<li>Follow CIS on <a href="http://identi.ca/main/remote?nickname=cis">identi.ca</a></li>
<li>Join the CIS group on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=28535315687">Facebook</a></li>
<li>Visit us at <a href="http://www.cis-india.org/">www.cis-india.org</a></li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align: justify; "><i>CIS is grateful to Kusuma Trust which was founded by Anurag Dikshit and Soma Pujari, philanthropists of Indian origin, for its core funding and support for most of its projects.</i></p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/about/newsletters/june-2011-bulletin'>https://cis-india.org/about/newsletters/june-2011-bulletin</a>
</p>
No publisherpraskrishnaAccess to KnowledgeDigital NativesTelecomAccessibilityInternet GovernanceCISRAWOpenness2012-07-30T07:14:57ZPageStatement of CIS, India, on the WIPO Broadcast Treaty at the 22nd SCCR
https://cis-india.org/a2k/blogs/sccr-22-broadcast-cis-statement
<b>The twenty-second session of the Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights is being held in Geneva from June 15 to June 24, 2011. Nirmita Narasimhan and Pranesh Prakash are attending the conference. CIS delivered its statement, on the Broadcast Treaty, and made it available in print form as well.</b>
<p>The Centre for Internet and Society would like to associate itself with the comprehensive statement made by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF). We are one of the signatories of the joint statement, which EFF referred to, of the many civil society non-governmental organizations, cable casters and technology companies opposing an intellectual property rights based Broadcasting Treaty.</p>
<p>We believe that the protection that may be afforded to broadcasters under existing international treaties, including <a class="external-link" href="http://www.worldtradelaw.net/uragreements/tripsagreement.pdf">Article 14 of the TRIPS Agreement</a>, are sufficient to safeguard the interests of broadcasters, and that the Broadcast Treaty, which has been under discussion for more than a decade without any progress is, as the WIPO Chair observed in the conclusion to the informal summary prepared after the 16th SCCR (SCCR/17/1/inf), an expenditure of "time, energy and resources to no avail". Without prejudice to that position, we would like to make a few points on the content of the treaty as well.</p>
<p>There has been talk of ensuring a technology-neutral approach. While a technology-neutral approach is useful since technology keeps changing, we believe that that necessarily means the differences between different technologies should be recognized. The capital costs and investments of traditional broadcasters, which are—as has been highlighted in the many statements here today—the basis on which broadcasters' rights are demanded, are not in the least comparable with the capital costs and investments of webcasting.</p>
<p>These differences have not come out adequately in the various regional seminars that WIPO helped organize, since those were mostly with traditional broadcasters and did not cover webcasters.</p>
<p>"Communication to the public", while that is a technologically neutral formulation, is an element of copyright, and is not the same of broadcast rights, which is a related right.</p>
<p>Any departure from a signal-based approach would require the assent of the WIPO General Assembly, which has in 2007 specifically requested for signal-based approach for the treaty.</p>
<p>Specifically, we believe that Paragraph 16 of the WIPO Development Agenda, which relates to preservation of a vibrant public domain, will be endangered by a right being given to webcasters which is separate from the underlying content of the transmission.</p>
<p>In this regard, we strongly support the delegations of South Africa and India, in their strong pronunciation of public interests while looking at such a treaty. We further support the delegation of Canada, for strongly emphasizing the need to allow countries the flexibility to opt-out of the provisions of the treaty for certain forms of broadcasting.</p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/a2k/blogs/sccr-22-broadcast-cis-statement'>https://cis-india.org/a2k/blogs/sccr-22-broadcast-cis-statement</a>
</p>
No publisherpraskrishnaAccess to KnowledgeCopyrightIntellectual Property RightsBroadcastingTechnological Protection Measures2011-08-04T04:41:12ZBlog EntryPutting a Lid on Royalty Outflows — How the RBI can Help Reduce India's IP Costs
https://cis-india.org/a2k/blogs/lid-on-royalty-outflows
<b>While entrepreneurs, IP rights-holders and everyone else who has a stake continue to voice their opinions on the appropriate shape that the Indian IP regime ought to take, they tend to narrow their discussions to the language of substantive IP laws. However, there are regulations that cannot be found in the Patent Act, Copyright Act or Trademarks Act which nevertheless have an impact on how much one is paying for intellectual property. Paying attention to these external factors might just provide a simple solution to your IP woes.</b>
<p>One such factor is the regulation of foreign technology agreements. A foreign technology agreement is an agreement under which a transfer of technology occurs from a foreign source to an Indian entity. This transfer may include anything from the creation of an Indian wholly-owned subsidiary of a foreign parent company to the transfer of manufacturing or design know-how. </p>
<p>Regulation of these agreements in India is carried out by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry as well as the Reserve Bank of India. In 1991, the Ministry’s Department of Industrial Development (DID) released Press Note No.10 which stated the following:</p>
<p>“39 C. Foreign Technology Agreements</p>
<p>i) <em>Automatic permission will be given for foreign technology agreements in high priority industries (Annex III)* upto a lumpsum payment of Rs. 1 crore, 5% royalty for domestic sales and 8% for exports, subject to total payments of 8% of sales over a 10 year period from date of agreement or 7 years from commencement of production. The prescribed royalty rates are net of taxes and will be calculated according to standard procedures</em>."</p>
<p>As a consequence, automatic approval could only be granted to high priority industries whose royalty payments fell within the prescribed limits. In every other case, the approval of the Secretariat of Industrial Approvals (SIA), DID and the RBI had to be sought. It must be noted that in theory this regulation did not place an absolute ban on royalty outflows above the 5% and 8% ceilings since the possibility of securing government approval for the same did exist. However, considering that a mere 8062 approvals were granted between 1991 and 2009[<a href="#1">1</a>], the ceiling was in effect almost absolute.</p>
<p>It appears that the stance of the government of the time was one of strict regulation. From the perspective of Indian entrepreneurs, shareholders and consumers, this was a good thing. To illustrate, imagine a foreign company which manufactures a networked camera cell phone. The company will be paying royalties for several of its features such as the camera, USB port, operating system, etc. This company then sets up a subsidiary in India to manufacture the same phones. Though the total royalties being paid by the parent company are likely to far exceed five per cent of its sales, it cannot charge the subsidiary royalties above this ceiling. Therefore, the costs for the Indian subsidiary reduce significantly. This reduction will be reflected in an increased dividend for shareholders and a reduced cost for consumers.</p>
<p>While the benefits of this royalty ceiling are manifold, it is evident that foreign rights-holders are adversely affected. Therefore, the Government has, unfortunately, gradually “liberalized” its approach towards royalty payments over the years. First the 7 or 10 year duration restrictions were done away with and next the lump sum ceiling was increased from Rs.1 crore to USD 2 million. Ultimately, the ceiling was removed altogether through the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion’s Press Note No.8 of 2009 in the name of liberalization. The adverse impacts on Indian manufacturers were almost immediate as foreign rights-holders began to revise their license agreements.[<a href="#2">2]</a>]</p>
<p>Why was this ceiling introduced in the first place? Some say it was due to the acute balance of payments deficit that existed in the country in 1991[<a href="#3">3</a>]; when India found itself overspending on imported oil. This urged the government at the time to ensure that foreign collaboration in the private sector was well regulated. Since then, the balance of payments situation in India has comparatively stabilized (though a deficit still does exist[<a href="#4">4]) and so there appears to be no immediate need to continue to regulate foreign technology collaboration. However, one can’t help but remember Mark Getty’s prediction that intellectual property will be the "oil of the twenty-first century".[</a><a href="#5">5]</a></p>
<h3>Notes</h3>
<p class="discreet"><a name="1">[1] F. Bureaus, “Tech Transfer, Royalty Payment Norms Eased”, Financial Express (November 6, 2009) available at <</a><a href="http://www.financialexpress.com/news/tech-transfer-royalty-payment-norms-eased/537816/"><u>http://www.financialexpress.com/news/tech-transfer-royalty-payment-norms-eased/537816/</u></a></p>
<u>
<p class="discreet"><a name="2">[2]http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/cnbctv18comments/india-inc-to-bearbruntroyalty-payment-revision_472540.html">http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/cnbctv18comments/india-inc-to-bearbruntroyalty-payment-revision_472540.html</a>>.</p>
<p class="discreet"><a name="3">[3]K. Sen, “News on Royalty Payment Brings Cheer in New Year”, Business Standard (January 4, 2010) available at <</a></p>
</u>
<p class="discreet"><span class="Apple-style-span"><u>http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/newsroyalty-payment-brings-cheer-in-new-year/381521/></u></span></p>
<p class="discreet"><a name="4">[4]http://www.rbi.org.in/scripts/SDDS_ViewDetails.aspx?SDDSID=165">http://www.rbi.org.in/scripts/SDDS_ViewDetails.aspx?SDDSID=165</a>>.</p>
<p class="discreet"><a name="5">[5]http://www.stealthisfilm.com/Part2/projects.php">http://www.stealthisfilm.com/Part2/projects.php</a></p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/a2k/blogs/lid-on-royalty-outflows'>https://cis-india.org/a2k/blogs/lid-on-royalty-outflows</a>
</p>
No publisherSanjana GovilIntellectual Property RightsAccess to Knowledge2012-01-26T17:11:29ZBlog EntryMay 2011 Bulletin
https://cis-india.org/about/newsletters/may-2011-bulletin
<b>Greetings from the Centre for Internet and Society! In this issue we are pleased to present you the latest updates about our research, upcoming events, and news and media coverage.</b>
<h2><b>Digital Natives with a Cause?</b></h2>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Digital Natives with a Cause? is a knowledge programme initiated by CIS and Hivos, Netherlands. It is a research inquiry that seeks to look at the changing landscape of social change and political participation and the role that young people play through digital and Internet technologies, in emerging information societies. Consolidating knowledge from Asia, Africa and Latin America, it builds a global network of knowledge partners who want to critically engage with the dominant discourse on youth, technology and social change, in order to look at the alternative practices and ideas in the Global South. It also aims at building new ecologies that amplify and augment the interventions and actions of the digitally young as they shape our futures.</p>
<h3>New Blog Entry by Samuel Tettner</h3>
<p>Samuel Tettner is a Digital Natives Coordinator in CIS. He has written the following blog entry:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/digital-natives/blog/what-scares-a-digital-native-blogathon-1">What Scare a Digital Native Blogathon?</a></li>
</ul>
<h2><b>Accessibility</b></h2>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Estimates of the percentage of the world's population that is disabled vary considerably. But what is certain is that if we count functional disability, then a large proportion of the world's population is disabled in one way or another. At CIS we work to ensure that the digital technologies, which empower disabled people and provide them with independence, are allowed to do so in practice and by the law. To this end, we support web accessibility guidelines, and change in copyright laws that currently disempower the persons with disabilities.</p>
<h3>New Blog Entry</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/advocacy/accessibility/blog/universal-service">Universal Service — An Instrument for Accessibility</a></li>
</ul>
<h2><b>Openness</b></h2>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">CIS believes that innovation and creativity should be fostered through openness and collaboration and is committed towards promotion of open standards, open access, and free/libre/open source software. Its latest endeavour has resulted into these:</p>
<h3>Featured Research</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/advocacy/openness/blog/open-government-data-study">Open Government Data Study</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Comments</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/advocacy/openness/blog/ict-in-school-education">Comments on Draft National Policy on ICT in School Education</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Interview</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/advocacy/openness/blog/an-interview-with-prof-arunachalam">Q&A on open access with Subbiah Arunachalam of the Centre for Internet and Society (Bangalore)</a> [Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University, May 5, 2011]</li>
</ul>
<h2><b>Internet Governance</b></h2>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Although there may not be one centralized authority that rules the Internet, the Internet does not just run by its own volition: for it to operate in a stable and reliable manner, there needs to be in place infrastructure, a functional domain name system, ways to curtail cyber crime across borders, etc. The Tunis Agenda of the second World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), paragraph 34 defined Internet governance as “the development and application by governments, the private sector and civil society, in their respective roles, of shared principles, norms, rules, decision-making procedures, and programmes that shape the evolution and use of the Internet.” Its latest endeavour has resulted into these:</p>
<h3>Column in Indian Express</h3>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Nishant Shah, Director-Research will be writing a series of columns on Internet and Society issues. His first column on transparency, technology and NGOs in India came out on Sunday:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/blog/power-to-people">Power to the People</a> [Indian Express, May 15, 2011]</li>
</ul>
<h3>New Blog Entries</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/blog/killing-the-internet-oped">Killing the Internet Softly with Its Rules</a> [By Pranesh Prakash in Indian Express, May 9, 2011]</li>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/blog/rebuttal-dit-press-release-intermediaries">Rebuttal of DIT's Misleading Statements on New Internet Rules</a></li>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/blog/cdt-internet-neutrality">CDT Provides Answers to Questions on Internet Neutrality</a></li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">CIS is doing a project, ‘Privacy in Asia’. <i>It is funded by Privacy International (PI), UK and the International Development Research Centre, Canada and is being administered in collaboration with the Society and Action Group, Gurgaon</i>. The two-year project commenced on 24 March 2010 and will be completed as agreed to by the stakeholders. It was set up with the objective of raising awareness, sparking civil action and promoting democratic dialogue around challenges and violations of privacy in India. In furtherance of these goals it aims to draft and promote over-arching privacy legislation in India by drawing upon legal and academic resources and consultations with the public.</p>
<h3>Featured Research</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/blog/privacy/limits-to-privacy">Limits to Privacy</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Conference Report</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/internet-governance/blog/privacy/privacy_privacybydesign">Privacy By Design — Conference Report</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Workshop</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/events/ijlt-cis-lecture-series">Second IJLT-CIS Lecture Series, National Law School</a> [National Law School of India University, Nagarbhavi, Bangalore, May 21-22, 2011]</li>
</ul>
<h3>Upcoming Conferences</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/events/uid-panel-discussion">Panel Discussion on UID – Its Feasibility, Utility and Legality</a> [May 26, 2011]</li>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://crm.cis-india.org/administrator/components/com_civicrm/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=427&qid=46981" target="_blank">Privacy Matters - A Public Conference in Hyderabad</a></span> [The English and Foreign Languages University (TBC), Hyderabad, June 18, 2011]</li>
</ul>
<h2><b>Telecom</b></h2>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">The growth in telecommunications in India has been impressive. While the potential for growth and returns exist, a range of issues need to be addressed for this potential to be realized. One aspect is more extensive rural coverage and the second aspect is a countrywide access to broadband which is low at about eight million subscriptions. Both require effective and efficient use of networks and resources, including spectrum. It is imperative to resolve these issues in the common interest of users and service providers. CIS campaigns to facilitate this:</p>
<h3>Column</h3>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Shyam Ponappa is a Distinguished Fellow at CIS. He writes regularly on Telecom issues in the Business Standard and these articles are mirrored on the CIS website as well.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/advocacy/telecom/blog/spectrum-reforms">Spectrum reforms - Good & Bad news</a> [published in the Business Standard on May 5, 2011]</li>
</ul>
<h2><b>Miscellaneous</b></h2>
<p>Public Lecture</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/events/lecture-by-hans">The Task of the Translator after Google</a> [CIS, April 30, 2011]</li>
</ul>
<h2><b>News & Media Coverage</b></h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/avec-i-e-g-8">Sunil Abraham, CIS : "Avec l’e-G8, Nicolas Sarkozy veut promouvoir de nouvelles restrictions à la liberté d’expression"</a> [LE MAG IT, May 24, 2011]</li>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/simple-as-a-tweet">As Simple as a Tweet</a> [Deccan Chronicle, May 24, 2011]</li>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/network-of-chains">A Network of Chains</a> [Outlook, Issue of May 30, 2011]</li>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/rti-query-filed">Bangalore-based NGO files RTI query asking list of websites blocked by Indian govt</a> [Daily News & Analysis, May 18, 2011]</li>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/it-act-internet-use">IT Act if enforced will leave internet use in India no freer than in China</a> [Daily News & Analysis, May 15, 2011]</li>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/privacy-public-property">Your Privacy is Public Property</a></span> [Mail Today, May 15, 2011]</li>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/point-by-point-rebuttal">Point By Point Rebuttal Of Indian Government’s Statement On Internet Control Rules</a></span> [Medianama, May 13, 2011]</li>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/new-rules-for-due-diligence">New rules to ensure due diligence: IT dept</a></span> [Times of India, May 11, 2011]</li>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/a-fight-against-draconian-IT-rules">Indian civil liberties groups are now geared to fight the draconian IT Rules</a></span> [Weekend Leader.com, Vol 2 Issue 18, 6 - 12 May, 2011]</li>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/objectionable-content-can-be-removed">New Internet rule: 'Objectionable' content can be removed without notifying users</a></span> [dailybhaskar.com, May 11, 2011]</li>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/online-speech">India Chills Online Speech</a></span> [digitalcommunities, May 3, 2011]</li>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/consumers-international-world-congress-day-3-roundup">Consumers International World Congress - Day 3 roundup</a></span> [Consumer's International Blog, May 5, 2011]</li>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/censorship-in-new-web-rules">Digerati See Censorship in New Web Rules</a></span> [Wall Street Journal, May 2, 2011]</li>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/free-expression">Free expression</a></span> [Watertown Daily Times, May 2, 2011]</li>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/india-curbs-bloggers-internet">India curbs on Bloggers and Internet</a></span> [TruthDrive, April 29, 2011]</li>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/geek-city">Bright lights, geek city</a></span> [Hindu, April 28, 2011]</li>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/india-cracks-down">India Cracks Down on Internet Free Speech</a></span> [April 28, 2011]</li>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/cyber-cafes-porn-free">India's cyber cafes going porn-free</a></span> [msnbc.com, April 28, 2011]</li>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/ipad-2-across-asia">Thousands queue for iPad 2 across Asia</a></span> [AFP, April 28, 2011] [News hosted by Google]</li>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/internet-rules-arbitary-interpretation">New internet rules open to arbitrary interpretation</a></span> [Times of India, April 27, 2011]</li>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/internet-free-speech">India Puts Tight Leash on Internet Free Speech</a></span> [New York Times, April 27, 2011]</li>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/india-can-restrict-objectionable-web-content">India Can Restrict 'Objectionable' Web Content under New Rules</a></span> [TMCnet Legal, April 27, 2011]</li>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/iraq-tour-of-india">Iraqi Minister meets Secretary, Indian Ministry of Panchayat Raj</a></span> [Karnataka News Network, April 27, 2011]</li>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/world-is-your-oyster">The world is your oyster, by invitation only</a></span> [Livemint, April 26, 2011] </li>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/no-pornography-in-cyber-cafes">No access to pornography in cyber cafes, declare new rules</a></span> [Times of India, April 26, 2011]</li>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/tapping-telephone-calls">India Proposes Restrictions on Tapping Telephone Calls</a></span> [PC World, TechWorld and CIO, April 26, 2011] </li>
</ul>
<h2>Follow us elsewhere</h2>
<ul>
<li>Get short, timely messages from us on <a href="http://crm.cis-india.org/administrator/components/com_civicrm/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=456&qid=46981" target="_blank">Twitter</a></li>
<li>Follow CIS on <a href="http://crm.cis-india.org/administrator/components/com_civicrm/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=457&qid=46981" target="_blank">identi.ca</a></li>
<li>Join the CIS group on <a href="http://crm.cis-india.org/administrator/components/com_civicrm/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=458&qid=46981" target="_blank">Facebook</a></li>
<li>Visit us at <a href="http://crm.cis-india.org/administrator/components/com_civicrm/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=459&qid=46981" target="_blank">www.cis-india.org</a></li>
</ul>
<p><i>CIS is grateful to Kusuma Trust which was founded by Anurag Dikshit and Soma Pujari, philanthropists of Indian origin, for its core funding and support for most of its projects.</i></p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/about/newsletters/may-2011-bulletin'>https://cis-india.org/about/newsletters/may-2011-bulletin</a>
</p>
No publisherpraskrishnaAccess to KnowledgeDigital NativesTelecomAccessibilityInternet GovernanceOpenness2012-07-30T10:23:01ZPageConsumers International IP Watchlist 2011 — India Report
https://cis-india.org/a2k/blogs/ip-watch-list-2011
<b>Pranesh Prakash prepared the India Report for the Consumers International IP Watchlist 2011. The report was published on the A2K Network website. </b>
<p>The report says:</p>
<p>India's Copyright Act is a relatively balanced instrument that recognises the interests of consumers through its broad private use exception, and by facilitating the compulsory licensing of works that would otherwise be unavailable. However, the compulsory licensing provision have not been utilized so far, because of both a lack of knowledge and more importantly because of the stringent conditions attached to them. Currently, the Indian law is also a bit out of sync with general practices as the exceptions and limitations allowed for literary, artistic and musical works are often not available with sound recordings and cinematograph films. There are numerous other such inconsistencies.</p>
<p>While India has not acceded to the WIPO [23] Copyright Treaty or the WIPO Performers and Phonograms Treaty, yet a set of amendments have been proposed which would bring the Indian law in compliance with both the WCT and the WPPT. These amendments would expose India's consumers to the same problems experienced in other jurisdictions which have prohibited the use of circumvention devices to gain access to legally-acquired copyright material. These amendments also propose a substantial increase in the copyright term for photographs (from 50 years to life plus 60 years), and a conditional increase of ten years for cinematograph films to 70 years if a special agreement is entered into by the producer with the director. It is true that copyright infringement, particularly in the form of physical media, is widespread in India. However this must be taken in the context that India, although fast-growing, remains one of the poorest countries in the world. Although India's knowledge and cultural productivity over the centuries and to the present day has been rich and prodigious, its citizens are economically disadvantaged as consumers of that same knowledge and culture. Indeed, most students, even in the so-called elite institutions, need to employ photocopying and other such means to be able to afford the requisite study materials. Physically challenged persons have no option but to disobey the law that does not grant them equal access to copyrighted works.</p>
<p>Legitimate operating systems (with the notable exception of most free and open source OSes) add a very high overhead to the purchase of cheap computers, thus driving users to pirated software. Thus, these phenomena need to be addressed not at the level of enforcement, but at the level of supply of affordable works in a suitable format.</p>
<p>Over the last year, the Standing Committee tasked with review of the Copyright Amendment Bill has held hearings and presented its findings and recommendations to the HRD Ministry. However, not a single consumer rights organization was called by the Standing Committee, and no civil society engagement was sought except for the issue of access for persons with disabilities. This was despite a number of civil society organizations sending in written submissions to the Standing Committee. The government is going to re-table the Bill in this session of Parliament (February-April).</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/a2k/blogs/ip-watch-list-2011.pdf" class="internal-link" title="Consumers International IP Watchlist 2011 — India Report">Click</a> to download the full report [PDF, 150 kb]</li>
<li>Read the report published by A2K Network <a class="external-link" href="http://a2knetwork.org/sites/default/files/IPWatchlist-2011-ENG.pdf">here</a></li>
</ul>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/a2k/blogs/ip-watch-list-2011'>https://cis-india.org/a2k/blogs/ip-watch-list-2011</a>
</p>
No publisherpraneshAccess to Knowledge2014-05-29T05:52:28ZBlog EntryApril 2011 Bulletin
https://cis-india.org/about/newsletters/april-2011-bulletin
<b>Greetings from the Centre for Internet and Society! In this issue we are pleased to present you the latest updates about our research, upcoming events, and news and media coverage:</b>
<h2><b>Researchers@Work</b></h2>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">RAW is a multidisciplinary research initiative. CIS believes that in order to understand the contemporary concerns in the field of Internet and society, it is necessary to produce local and contextual accounts of the interaction between the Internet and socio-cultural and geo-political structures. To build original research knowledge base, the RAW programme has been collaborating with different organisations and individuals to focus on its three year thematic of Histories of the Internets in India.</p>
<h3>Workshops organised in Bangalore</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://crm.cis-india.org/administrator/components/com_civicrm/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=334&qid=39041" target="_blank">Shadow Search Project (SSP)</a> [CIS, April 18, 2011]</li>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://crm.cis-india.org/administrator/components/com_civicrm/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=335&qid=39041" target="_blank">Facebook Resistance</a></span> [CIS, April 2, 2011]</li>
</ul>
<h2><b>Digital Natives with a Cause?</b></h2>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Digital Natives with a Cause? is a knowledge programme initiated by CIS and Hivos, Netherlands. It is a research inquiry that seeks to look at the changing landscape of social change and political participation and the role that young people play through digital and Internet technologies, in emerging information societies. Consolidating knowledge from Asia, Africa and Latin America, it builds a global network of knowledge partners who want to critically engage with the dominant discourse on youth, technology and social change, in order to look at the alternative practices and ideas in the Global South. It also aims at building new ecologies that amplify and augment the interventions and actions of the digitally young as they shape our futures.</p>
<h3>Columns on Digital Natives</h3>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">A fortnightly column on ‘Digital Natives’ authored by Nishant Shah is featured in the Sunday Eye, the national edition of Indian Express, Delhi, from 19 September 2010 onwards. The following were published in the month of April:</p>
<ul>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://crm.cis-india.org/administrator/components/com_civicrm/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=336&qid=39041" target="_blank">Who the Hack?</a></span> [Indian Express, April 24, 2011]</li>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://crm.cis-india.org/administrator/components/com_civicrm/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=337&qid=39041" target="_blank">One for the avatar</a></span> [Indian Express, April 3, 2011]</li>
</ul>
<h3>Digital Natives Newsletter</h3>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Links in the Chain is a bi-monthly publication which highlights the projects, ideas and news of the Digital Natives with a Cause? The first issue of volume IV is here:</p>
<ul>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://crm.cis-india.org/administrator/components/com_civicrm/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=338&qid=39041" target="_blank">links in the chain volume 4 Best Practices</a></span></li>
</ul>
<h3>New Blog Entry by Samuel Tettner</h3>
<p>Samuel Tettner is a Digital Natives Coordinator in CIS. He has written the following blog entry:</p>
<ul>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://crm.cis-india.org/administrator/components/com_civicrm/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=339&qid=39041" target="_blank">Cyber Fears: What scares Digital Natives and those around them</a></span></li>
</ul>
<h2><b>Accessibility</b></h2>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Estimates of the percentage of the world's population that is disabled vary considerably. But what is certain is that if we count functional disability, then a large proportion of the world's population is disabled in one way or another. At CIS we work to ensure that the digital technologies, which empower disabled people and provide them with independence, are allowed to do so in practice and by the law. To this end, we support web accessibility guidelines, and change in copyright laws that currently disempower the persons with disabilities.</p>
<h3>Workshop organised in Hyderabad</h3>
<ul>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://crm.cis-india.org/administrator/components/com_civicrm/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=340&qid=39041" target="_blank">Web Sites Accessibility Evaluation Methodologies: Conference Report</a></span></li>
</ul>
<h2><b>Openness</b></h2>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">CIS believes that innovation and creativity should be fostered through openness and collaboration and is committed towards promotion of open standards, open access, and free/libre/open source software. Its latest endeavour has resulted into these:</p>
<h3>Submission</h3>
<ul>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://crm.cis-india.org/administrator/components/com_civicrm/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=341&qid=39041" target="_blank">Comments on Draft National Policy on ICT in School Education</a></span></li>
</ul>
<h3>New Blog Entry</h3>
<ul>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://crm.cis-india.org/administrator/components/com_civicrm/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=342&qid=39041" target="_blank">Towards Open and Equitable Access to Research and Knowledge for Development</a></span> [PLoS, March 29, 2011]</li>
</ul>
<h2><b>Internet Governance</b></h2>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Although there may not be one centralized authority that rules the Internet, the Internet does not just run by its own volition: for it to operate in a stable and reliable manner, there needs to be in place infrastructure, a functional domain name system, ways to curtail cyber crime across borders, etc. The Tunis Agenda of the second World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), paragraph 34 defined Internet governance as “the development and application by governments, the private sector and civil society, in their respective roles, of shared principles, norms, rules, decision-making procedures, and programmes that shape the evolution and use of the Internet.” Its latest endeavour has resulted into these:</p>
<h3>Featured</h3>
<ul>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://crm.cis-india.org/administrator/components/com_civicrm/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=343&qid=39041" target="_blank">DIT's Response to RTI on Website Blocking</a></span></li>
</ul>
<h3>New Blog Entries</h3>
<ul>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://crm.cis-india.org/administrator/components/com_civicrm/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=344&qid=39041" target="_blank">What are the legal provisions for blocking websites in India?</a></span></li>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://crm.cis-india.org/administrator/components/com_civicrm/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=345&qid=39041" target="_blank">We are anonymous, we are legion</a></span> [published in the Hindu, April 18, 2011]</li>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://crm.cis-india.org/administrator/components/com_civicrm/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=346&qid=39041" target="_blank">You Have the Right to Remain Silent</a></span> [published in the Sunday Guardian, April 17, 2011]</li>
</ul>
<h3>Study Tour</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://crm.cis-india.org/administrator/components/com_civicrm/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=347&qid=39041" target="_blank">Iraq Delegation to Visit India for Study of E-Governance in Indian Cities ― Meetings in Bangalore and Delhi</a></li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">CIS is doing a project, ‘Privacy in Asia’. <i>It is funded by Privacy International (PI), UK and the International Development Research Centre, Canada and is being administered in collaboration with the Society and Action Group, Gurgaon</i>. The two-year project commenced on 24 March 2010 and will be completed as agreed to by the stakeholders. It was set up with the objective of raising awareness, sparking civil action and promoting democratic dialogue around challenges and violations of privacy in India. In furtherance of these goals it aims to draft and promote over-arching privacy legislation in India by drawing upon legal and academic resources and consultations with the public.</p>
<h3>Featured Research</h3>
<ul>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://crm.cis-india.org/administrator/components/com_civicrm/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=348&qid=39041" target="_blank">The DNA Profiling Bill 2007 and Privacy</a></span></li>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://crm.cis-india.org/administrator/components/com_civicrm/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=349&qid=39041" target="_blank">Privacy and the Information Technology Act — Do we have the Safeguards for Electronic Privacy?</a></span></li>
</ul>
<h3>Interview</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://crm.cis-india.org/administrator/components/com_civicrm/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=350&qid=39041" target="_blank">An Interview with Activist Shubha Chacko: Privacy and Sex workers</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Workshops organized in Ahmedabad and Bangalore</h3>
<ul>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://crm.cis-india.org/administrator/components/com_civicrm/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=351&qid=39041" target="_blank">'Privacy Matters', Ahmedabad: Conference Report</a></span> [Ahmedabad Management Association, Ahmedabad, March 26, 2011]</li>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://crm.cis-india.org/administrator/components/com_civicrm/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=352&qid=39041" target="_blank">Privacy, By Design</a></span> [CIS, April 16, 2011]</li>
</ul>
<h3>New Blog Entries</h3>
<ul>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://crm.cis-india.org/administrator/components/com_civicrm/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=353&qid=39041" target="_blank">Is Data Protection Enough?</a></span></li>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://crm.cis-india.org/administrator/components/com_civicrm/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=354&qid=39041" target="_blank">Surveillance Technologies</a></span></li>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://crm.cis-india.org/administrator/components/com_civicrm/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=355&qid=39041" target="_blank">Encryption Standards and Practices</a></span></li>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://crm.cis-india.org/administrator/components/com_civicrm/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=356&qid=39041" target="_blank">News Broadcasting Standards Authority censures TV9 over privacy violations!</a></span></li>
</ul>
<h2><b>Telecom</b></h2>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">The growth in telecommunications in India has been impressive. While the potential for growth and returns exist, a range of issues need to be addressed for this potential to be realized. One aspect is more extensive rural coverage and the second aspect is a countrywide access to broadband which is low at about eight million subscriptions. Both require effective and efficient use of networks and resources, including spectrum. It is imperative to resolve these issues in the common interest of users and service providers. CIS campaigns to facilitate this:</p>
<h3>Column</h3>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Shyam Ponappa is a Distinguished Fellow at CIS. He writes regularly on Telecom issues in the Business Standard and these articles are mirrored on the CIS website as well.</p>
<ul>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://crm.cis-india.org/administrator/components/com_civicrm/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=357&qid=39041" target="_blank">Learning from Fukushima</a></span> [published in the Business Standard on April 7, 2011]</li>
</ul>
<h2><b>News & Media Coverage</b></h2>
<ul>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://crm.cis-india.org/administrator/components/com_civicrm/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=358&qid=39041" target="_blank">The Gary Chapman International School on Digital Transformation</a></span>[International School on Digital Transformation, July 17-22, 2011]</li>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://crm.cis-india.org/administrator/components/com_civicrm/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=359&qid=39041" target="_blank">Iraqi delegation in Bangalore to study e-governance projects</a></span> [Economic Times, April 20, 2011]</li>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://crm.cis-india.org/administrator/components/com_civicrm/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=360&qid=39041" target="_blank">Dark waders</a></span> [Time Out Bengaluru, Vol. 3, Issue 20, April 15 - 28, 2011]</li>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://crm.cis-india.org/administrator/components/com_civicrm/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=361&qid=39041" target="_blank">Beyond Clicktivism</a></span> [Outlook, April 18, 2011]</li>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://crm.cis-india.org/administrator/components/com_civicrm/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=362&qid=39041" target="_blank">Gone in a flash</a></span> [Times of India, April 16, 2011]</li>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://crm.cis-india.org/administrator/components/com_civicrm/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=363&qid=39041" target="_blank">How Web 2.0 responded to Hazare</a></span> [Hindu, April 11, 2011]</li>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://crm.cis-india.org/administrator/components/com_civicrm/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=364&qid=39041" target="_blank">EU Commissioner Hedegaard to deliver keynote address at consumer world congress</a></span></li>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://crm.cis-india.org/administrator/components/com_civicrm/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=365&qid=39041" target="_blank">Net cracker</a></span> [Time Out Bengaluru Vol. 3 Issue 19, April 1 - 14, 2011]</li>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://crm.cis-india.org/administrator/components/com_civicrm/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=366&qid=39041" target="_blank">On the Path to Global Open Access: A Few More Miles to Go</a></span> [PLoS, March 2011, Volume 8, Issue 3]</li>
</ul>
<h2>Follow us elsewhere</h2>
<ul>
<li>Get short, timely messages from us on <a href="http://crm.cis-india.org/administrator/components/com_civicrm/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=367&qid=39041" target="_blank">Twitter</a></li>
<li>Follow CIS on <a href="http://crm.cis-india.org/administrator/components/com_civicrm/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=368&qid=39041" target="_blank">identi.ca</a></li>
<li>Join the CIS group on <a href="http://crm.cis-india.org/administrator/components/com_civicrm/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=369&qid=39041" target="_blank">Facebook</a></li>
<li>Visit us at <a href="http://crm.cis-india.org/administrator/components/com_civicrm/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=370&qid=39041" target="_blank">www.cis-india.org</a></li>
</ul>
<p><i>CIS is grateful to Kusuma Trust which was founded by Anurag Dikshit and Soma Pujari, philanthropists of Indian origin, for its core funding and support for most of its projects.</i></p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/about/newsletters/april-2011-bulletin'>https://cis-india.org/about/newsletters/april-2011-bulletin</a>
</p>
No publisherpraskrishnaAccess to KnowledgeTelecomAccessibilityInternet GovernanceResearchOpenness2012-07-30T10:45:01ZPageMarch 2011 Bulletin
https://cis-india.org/about/newsletters/march%20-2011-bulletin
<b>Greetings from the Centre for Internet and Society! In this issue we are pleased to present you the latest updates about our research, upcoming events, and news and media coverage.</b>
<h2><b>Researchers@Work</b></h2>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">RAW is a multidisciplinary research initiative. CIS believes that in order to understand the contemporary concerns in the field of Internet and society, it is necessary to produce local and contextual accounts of the interaction between the Internet and socio-cultural and geo-political structures. To build original research knowledge base, the RAW programme has been collaborating with different organisations and individuals to focus on its three year thematic of Histories of the Internets in India. Monographs finalised from these projects are online for peer review.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">New Blog Entry by Zainab Bawa in Transparency and Politics</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/research/cis-raw/histories/transparency/transparency-politics-it-in-india" target="_blank">A History of Transparency, Politics and Information Technologies in India</a></li>
</ul>
<h2><b>Digital Natives with a Cause?</b></h2>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Digital Natives with a Cause? is a knowledge programme initiated by CIS and Hivos, Netherlands. It is a research inquiry that seeks to look at the changing landscape of social change and political participation and the role that young people play through digital and Internet technologies, in emerging information societies. Consolidating knowledge from Asia, Africa and Latin America, it builds a global network of knowledge partners who want to critically engage with the dominant discourse on youth, technology and social change, in order to look at the alternative practices and ideas in the Global South. It also aims at building new ecologies that amplify and augment the interventions and actions of the digitally young as they shape our futures.</p>
<h3>Column on Digital Natives</h3>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">A fortnightly column on ‘Digital Natives’ authored by Nishant Shah is featured in the Sunday Eye, the national edition of Indian Express, Delhi, from 19 September 2010 onwards. The following was published recently:</p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/research/dn/watson-knows" target="_blank">Watson knows the Question</a> [Indian Express, March 6, 2011]</li>
</ul>
<h3>Blog Entries by Maesey Angelina</h3>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Maesey Angelina works as a programme officer at Hivos, Jakarta on gender, women and development while exploring research initiatives on Digital Natives in Indonesia. She spent one month in CIS, working on her dissertation, exploring the Blank Noise project under the Digital Natives with a Cause framework. She writes a series of blog entries. The new ones are:</p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/research/dn/reflecting-from-the-beyond" target="_blank">Reflecting from the Beyond</a></li>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/research/dn/activism-unraveling-the-term" target="_blank">Activism: Unraveling the Term</a></li>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/research/dn/the-many-faces-within" target="_blank">The Many Faces Within</a> </li>
</ul>
<h3>Blog Entries by Samuel Tettner</h3>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Samuel Tettner is a Digital Natives Coordinator in CIS. He has written the following blog entries:</p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/research/dn/i-believe-that-______-should-be-a-right-in-the-digital-age" target="_blank">I Believe that .......... should be a Right in the Digital Age</a></li>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/research/dn/science-technology-and-society-conference-in-indore-march-12-13" target="_blank">Science, Technology and Society International Conference – Some Afterthoughts</a></li>
</ul>
<h2><b>Accessibility</b></h2>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Estimates of the percentage of the world's population that is disabled vary considerably. But what is certain is that if we count functional disability, then a large proportion of the world's population is disabled in one way or another. At CIS we work to ensure that the digital technologies, which empower disabled people and provide them with independence, are allowed to do so in practice and by the law. To this end, we support web accessibility guidelines, and change in copyright laws that currently disempower the persons with disabilities.</p>
<h3>Featured Research</h3>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/advocacy/accessibility/blog/accessible-mobile-handsets" target="_blank">Accessible Mobile Handsets in India: An Overview</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Blog Entry</h3>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/advocacy/accessibility/blog/rights-of-persons-with-disabilities" target="_blank">Note on the Authorities under the Working Draft of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2011 (9th February 2011)</a> </li>
</ul>
<h2><b>Intellectual Property</b></h2>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">CIS believes that access to knowledge and culture is essential as it promotes creativity and innovation and bridges the gaps between the developed and developing world positively. Hence, the campaigns for an international treaty on copyright exceptions for print-impaired, advocating against PUPFIP Bill, calls for the WIPO Broadcast Treaty to be restricted to broadcast, questioning the demonization of 'pirates', and supporting endeavours that explore and question the current copyright regime. Its latest endeavour has resulted into these:</p>
<h3>Featured Research</h3>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/advocacy/ipr/blog/plagiarism-in-indian-academia" target="_blank">Pirates, Plagiarisers, Publishers</a> [ Written by Prashant Iyengar and originally published in the Economic & Political Weekly, February 26, 2011, Vol XLVI No 9]</li>
</ul>
<h3>Submission</h3>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/advocacy/ipr/blog/wipo-broadcast-treaty-comments-march-2011" target="_blank">Comments to the Ministry on WIPO Broadcast Treaty</a> (March 2011)</li>
</ul>
<h2><b>Openness</b></h2>
<h3>Workshops organised</h3>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/events/design-public" target="_blank">Design!publiC</a> [Taj Vivanta, New Delhi, March 18, 2011]</li>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/events/open-access" target="_blank">Open Access to Scientific Information Indian International Centre</a> [New Delhi, March 16, 2011]</li>
</ul>
<h2><b>Internet Governance</b></h2>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Although there may not be one centralized authority that rules the Internet, the Internet does not just run by its own volition: for it to operate in a stable and reliable manner, there needs to be in place infrastructure, a functional domain name system, ways to curtail cyber crime across borders, etc. The Tunis Agenda of the second World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), paragraph 34 defined Internet governance as “the development and application by governments, the private sector and civil society, in their respective roles, of shared principles, norms, rules, decision-making procedures, and programmes that shape the evolution and use of the Internet.” CIS involvement in the field of Internet governance has taken the following shape:</p>
<h3>Submissions</h3>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/advocacy/accessibility/blog/electronic-delivery-of-services-comments" target="_blank">The Draft Electronic Delivery of Services Bill, 2011 – Comments by CIS</a></li>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/advocacy/igov/blog/policy-for-governments-presence-in-social-media-recommendations" target="_blank">Policy for Government's Presence in Social Media - Recommendations</a></li>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/advocacy/igov/blog/rtis-on-website-blocking" target="_blank">RTI Applications on Blocking of Websites</a></li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">CIS is doing a project, ‘Privacy in Asia’. <i>It is funded by Privacy International (PI), UK and the International Development Research Centre, Canada and is being administered in collaboration with the Society and Action Group, Gurgaon</i>. The two-year project commenced on 24 March 2010 and will be completed as agreed to by the stakeholders. It was set up with the objective of raising awareness, sparking civil action and promoting democratic dialogue around challenges and violations of privacy in India. In furtherance of these goals it aims to draft and promote over-arching privacy legislation in India by drawing upon legal and academic resources and consultations with the public.</p>
<h3>Submission</h3>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/advocacy/igov/privacy-india/privacy_govdatabase" target="_blank">Privacy and Governmental Database</a> </li>
</ul>
<p>Workshops organized</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/events/privacy-matters-ahmedabad" target="_blank">Privacy Matters - A Public Conference in Ahmedabad</a> [Ahmedabad, March 26, 2011]</li>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/events/ian" target="_blank">Public Talk by Dr. Ian Brown on Privacy, Trust and Biometrics</a> [Centre for Contemporary Studies, IISc, Bangalore, March 21, 2011]</li>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/events/electronication" target="_blank">Electronication: Ragas and the Future</a> [Jaaga, Bangalore, March 6, 2011]</li>
<li><a href="https://cis-india.org/events/fostering-freedom-of-expression" target="_blank">Role of the Internet in Fostering Freedom of Expression and Strengthening Activism in India - A Workshop in Delhi</a> [Constitution Club, New Delhi, March 4, 2011]</li>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/events/global-freedom-expression" target="_blank">Global Challenges to Freedom of Expression</a> [Constitution Club, New Delhi, March 4, 2011]</li>
</ul>
<h2><b>Telecom</b></h2>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">The growth in telecommunications in India has been impressive. While the potential for growth and returns exist, a range of issues need to be addressed for this potential to be realized. One aspect is more extensive rural coverage and the second aspect is a countrywide access to broadband which is low at about eight million subscriptions. Both require effective and efficient use of networks and resources, including spectrum. It is imperative to resolve these issues in the common interest of users and service providers. CIS campaigns to facilitate this:</p>
<h3>Featured Research</h3>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/advocacy/telecom/blog/untapped-potential" target="_blank">India's untapped potential: Are a billion people losing out because of spectrum?</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Column</h3>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Shyam Ponappa is a Distinguished Fellow at CIS. He writes regularly on Telecom issues in the Business Standard and these articles are mirrored on the CIS website as well.</p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/advocacy/telecom/blog/big-bang-budgets" target="_blank">Big-Bang Budgets?</a> [published in the Business Standard on March 3, 2011]</li>
</ul>
<h3><b>Forthcoming Events</b></h3>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">CIS is organising some conferences/workshops in the month of March/April:</p>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/events/w3c-conference-hyderabad" target="_blank">Web Sites Accessibility Evaluation Methodologies: A New Imperative for State Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities</a>[Hyderabad International Convention Centre, Hyderabad]</li>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/events/shadow-search-in-cis" target="_blank">Shadow Search Project (SSP) in CIS</a> [CIS, Bangalore]</li>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/events/facebook-resistance" target="_blank">Facebook Resistance Workshop</a> [CIS, Bangalore]</li>
</ul>
<h2><b>News & Media Coverage</b></h2>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/networking-better-governance" target="_blank">Networking its way to better governance</a> (Hindu, March 28, 2011]</li>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/failed-uk-nir-project" target="_blank">‘Learn from failed UK NIR project’</a> (Deccan Chronicle, March 22, 2011]</li>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/design-public-livemint-coverage" target="_blank">Design!publiC - News from Livemint</a> (Livemint, March 18, 2011)</li>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/muzzling-internet" target="_blank">Muzzling the Internet</a> (Outlook, March 17, 2011)</li>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/battle-internet" target="_blank">Battle for the Internet</a> (Down to Earth, Issue: March 15, 2011)</li>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/cause-and-effect" target="_blank">Cause and effect Facebook-style</a> (Hindustan Times, March 13, 2011)</li>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/catch-all" target="_blank">Catch-all approach to Net freedom draws activist ire</a> (Sunday Guardian, March 13, 2011)</li>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/suspended-in-web" target="_blank">Lives suspended in the Web</a> (Indian Express, March 11, 2011)</li>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/it-guidelines-gag-internet-freedom" target="_blank">Draft IT guidelines may gag internet freedom</a> (Times of India, March 11, 2011)</li>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/govt-proposal" target="_blank">Govt proposal to muzzle bloggers sparks outcry</a> (Times of India, March 10, 2011)</li>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/online-censorship" target="_blank">New Indian Rules May Make Online Censorship Easier</a> (Yahoo News, March 7, 2011)</li>
<li style="text-align: justify; "><a href="https://cis-india.org/news/anti-social-network" target="_blank">Anti-Social Network</a> (Mail Today, February 27, 2011)</li>
</ul>
<h2>Follow us elsewhere</h2>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify; ">Get short, timely messages from us on <a href="http://twitter.com/cis_india" target="_blank">Twitter</a></li>
<li style="text-align: justify; ">Follow CIS on <a href="http://identi.ca/main/remote?nickname=cis" target="_blank">identi.ca</a></li>
<li style="text-align: justify; ">Join the CIS group on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=28535315687" target="_blank">Facebook</a></li>
<li style="text-align: justify; ">Visit us at <a href="http://www.cis-india.org/" target="_blank">www.cis-india.org</a></li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align: justify; "><i>CIS is grateful to Kusuma Trust which was founded by Anurag Dikshit and Soma Pujari, philanthropists of Indian origin, for its core funding and support for most of its projects.</i></p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/about/newsletters/march%20-2011-bulletin'>https://cis-india.org/about/newsletters/march%20-2011-bulletin</a>
</p>
No publisherpraskrishnaAccess to KnowledgeDigital NativesTelecomAccessibilityInternet GovernanceResearchOpenness2012-07-30T10:59:46ZPage