Tomoaki Watanabe discusses the difficulties of advocating for progressive copyright reform through trade deals like TPP due to structural biases. While government negotiation of copyright provisions is often secretive and industry-driven, public advocacy through media events, scholarly symposiums, and international networking can raise awareness and pressure governments to consider other stakeholders. However, comprehensive reform remains challenging given entrenched industry influence and the public's thinly spread stake in copyright issues.
Discussing survey component of Global Open Policy Report 2016, which is available at: https://creativecommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/StateofOpenPolicyFullReport_FINAL-1-1-1-1.pdf
This document discusses copyright issues related to 3D data and works. It notes that copyright law broadly protects creative expressions but not facts or ideas. For 3D works intended for practical use, copyright protection varies depending on whether the work is highly artistic or pragmatic. The document explores examples of how copyright may apply differently to 3D data based on factors like the intended use of a captured work and whether the work and its capture were creative. It also discusses implications of freely available 3D data and alternatives to strict copyright protection like embracing openness.
The document discusses the challenges of applying existing product liability law to emerging digital fabrication technologies. Current law defines manufacturers broadly, potentially covering individual makers. However, assumptions of existing law around information asymmetry and capital do not always apply to personal, social, and community digital fabrication. There are tensions between innovative potential and consumer protection. The document suggests improving risk communication and requiring mandatory insurance for non-industrial manufacturers to help address these challenges. However, insurance alone does not incentivize risk reduction.
This document examines the sustainability of several FabLabs across Asia and identifies common business models. It analyzes 7 FabLabs from India, Philippines, and Japan of various sizes and entities. The labs studied rely on a mix of revenue sources like access fees, workshops, projects, and in-kind support. Three main types of revenue are identified based on number of payers, payment size, and expertise needed: access fees have large numbers of small payers and low expertise; workshops have medium numbers and payment size and medium expertise; and projects have small numbers but large payment size and high expertise. Sustainability remains a question as many labs struggle with re-investment after 5 years without consistent revenue streams.
This document discusses universal service policy approaches for the Internet of Things (IoT) based on universal service policies for broadband in the US and Japan. It outlines four key challenges IoT may present: the multiplicity of services, the diversity of networks and applications, inclusion of critical services for minorities, and the rapid speed of change. It then reviews the trajectories of universal service policy shifts to broadband in the US and Japan, noting differences in their processes and political priorities regarding universal access.
The document summarizes a case study of FabLab Bohol, a makerspace located in rural Philippines. Key points:
- FabLab Bohol was initiated in 2012 to provide local manufacturing equipment and training, but faced challenges due to lack of local talent and higher costs compared to the nearby city of Cebu.
- Some early successes included hosting a design competition, and creating local products like coin cases from coconut skins and remote controls using Arduino.
- The performance of FabLab Bohol, and similar development interventions, depends on having an "active body" of local champions to address challenges, and leveraging "proximities" like networking to empower community learning. An active local network may be able