RRO conference in Namibia
Posted by Eve Gray | 17 Nov, 2008From Charles Batambuze:
I have just returned from Namibia where I was part of the regional training on policy issues regarding rights management. The training was specifically for Reprographic Rights Organisations (RROS) within Eastern and Southern Africa region and was organised by WIPO, IFRRO and ARIPO. I don't know how I ended up there but all the same it was a great opportunity for me to learn from IFRRO their view of copyright!
I was pleasantly
suprised by the trainer from IFRRO who covered alternative licensing
specifically creative commons. I thought that IFRRO would be opposed to the idea
of alternative licensing but they're not if I'm to go by the trainers views.
Instead it was the WIPO and ARIPO representatives who seemed to fiercely push
the line of over protectionism (I think that liberal copyright approaches are
yet to make inroads in the intergovernmental frameworks!). I used the occassion
to talk about what we're doing and the lessons we're drawing as a result of this
intervention. It was clear that RROs from the region are very ignorant of the
alternative licensing. They were also ignorant about open access and lots of
other issues within the digital environment. I think because of this failure,
RROs are unaware of the actual benefits of alternative licensing and open access
to the growth of the publishing industry within Africa. Some RROs especially
from Zimbabwe mentioned that they have had clashes over open access at the Cape
Town Book Fair especially with librarians from Southern Africa. Anyway at the
end of the day, RROs requested WIPO and IFRRO to provide them with training that
will focus on Open access and the creative commons. They wish to know how these
work and possibly how an RRO can re-invent itself to serve meaningfully in the
new era. <
