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Category: Open Access
Millions Now Have Access to the CC Certificate in Italian and Arabic!
by Jennryn Wetzler Open Access, Open EducationTo date, the CC Certificate has only been available in English. However, thanks to the incredible efforts of CC Global Network members, the CC Certificate course content (e.g., readings, articles, etc.) is being translated into multiple languages. In particular, we are proud to highlight the work of CC Network members in Italy and Saudi Arabia.…
Reproductions of Public Domain Works Should Remain in the Public Domain
by Claudio Ruiz, Scann Copyright, Licenses & Tools, Open AccessIt has come to the attention of Creative Commons that there is an increased use of CC licenses by cultural heritage institutions on photographic reproductions and 3D scans of objects such as sculptures, busts, engravings, and inscriptions, among others, that are indisputably in the public domain worldwide. A recent example is the 3000-year-old Nefertiti bust…
Access to Information Is Not Universal: Here’s Why That Matters
by Victoria Heath Copyright, Open Access, Open DataToday is the International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI). You may be wondering why this day is necessary—particularly in 2019, when the average person is inundated with an estimated 34 gigabytes of information every day, from emails and text messages to Youtube videos and news programs. In fact, it’s easy to take information…
Announcing an Open Call for Proposals: The Bassel Khartabil Fellowship
by Eric Steuer Open Access, Open Culture, Open DataToday the Fabricatorz Foundation announced an open call for applicants for the Bassel Khartabil Fellowship. The Fellowship supports outstanding individuals developing free culture projects in their communities under adverse circumstances, honoring the legacy of beloved artist, open source technology innovator, free culture advocate Bassel Khartabil. Bassel was Creative Commons’ Syrian project lead, the cofounder of…
European Commission forging ahead to boost public sector information and open science
by Timothy Vollmer Open Access, Open Data, Open ScienceWhile the EU copyright reform teeters on the edge of turning into a complete disaster, last week the European Commission published a proposal for a revision of the Directive on the reuse of public sector information (PSI Directive), and a recommendation on access to and preservation of scientific information. Both of these documents are…
A Thank You to Everyone Who Supported Diego and Open Access to Knowledge
by Timothy Vollmer Copyright, Open AccessIn December Diego Gómez was finally cleared of the criminal charges levied against him for sharing an academic research paper on the internet. The Tribunal de Bogotá—the Colombian appellate court—affirmed the lower court’s acquittal. Gómez is a scientist from Colombia who had been criminally prosecuted for the last three years for sharing an academic paper…
Colombian appellate court affirms: Diego Gómez not guilty for sharing research paper online
by Timothy Vollmer Open AccessYesterday we learned that the Tribunal de Bogotá—the Colombian appellate court—has affirmed the lower court’s acquittal of Diego Gómez. Gómez is a scientist from Colombia who has been criminally prosecuted for the last three years for sharing an academic paper online. When Diego was a student in conservation biology in Colombia, he had poor access…
Open In Order To…Fulfill Our Vision for Universal Access to Research and Education
by Ryan Merkley Copyright, Open AccessIt’s Open Access Week, the yearly global event to raise broad awareness about the opportunities and benefits for open access to scientific and scholarly research. Open Access Week—now in its 10th year—also mobilises action for progressive policy changes so that researchers and the public get immediate online access to the results of scholarly research, and…
Open In Order To…Guarantee Access to the Laws That Govern Us
by Timothy Vollmer Copyright, Open AccessIt’s Open Access Week, the yearly global event to raise broad awareness about the opportunities and benefits for open access to scientific and scholarly research. Open Access Week—now in its 10th year—also mobilises action for progressive policy changes so that researchers and the public get immediate online access to the results of scholarly research, and…
Open In Order To…Accelerate Research and Scientific Discoveries
by Timothy Vollmer Copyright, Open AccessIt’s Open Access Week, the yearly global event to raise broad awareness about the opportunities and benefits for open access to scientific and scholarly research. Open Access Week—now in its 10th year—also mobilises action for progressive policy changes so that researchers and the public get immediate online access to the results of scholarly research, and…