2023:Program/Submissions/Open up! Stories and lessons from copyright advocacy across the Wikimedia movement - HFRYEK
Title: Open up! Stories and lessons from copyright advocacy across the Wikimedia movement
Speakers:
Ziski Putz and FPutz (WMF)
I joined the Foundation's Global Advocacy team because I’m passionate about using digital technologies to help communities have their voices heard in policy arenas so they can counteract extractive and oppressive practices. I've dedicated my career to exposing surveillance technologies and organizing campaigns to dismantle these as digital-rights activist, researcher, and a policy consultant. I've worked with organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union, European Bank of Reconstruction and Development, International Red Cross, Microsoft, and UK grassroots groups on topics that include algorithmic bias, surveillance technology, and the use of emerging technologies like blockchain in humanitarian contexts. My background is varied by my focus is singular. I applying that grass-roots energy to help Wikimedia fight for policies that will protect and promote the open web so that everyone has a chance to access and share information. I hold an MA in International Relations from the University of Edinburgh and an MPhil in International Development Studies from the University of Oxford. I might sound American, but I'm Austrian.
Room:
Start time:
End time:
Type: Roundtable / open discussion
Track: Legal, Advocacy, and Risks
Submission state: submitted
Duration: 90 minutes
Do not record: true
Presentation language: en
Abstract & description[edit source]
Abstract[edit source]
The absence of balanced copyright policies, where the interests of authors and the public have equal weight, are a major blocker to achieving the Wikimedia movement’s 2030 vision of Knowledge Equity. For even though Wikimedians are running a plethora of projects to advance knowledge equity, from WikiLovesWomen and Wiki4HumanRights to countless photo competitions, not everyone can participate equally, and not everyone can access these materials equally. This is due to how copyright laws in each country balance (or favor) competing interests. Wikimedians have been advocating for copyright legislations that support free knowledge projects since the beginning of this movement. In this session, we will explore what we can learn from copyright advocacy initiatives that Wikimedians have led across the world.
Description[edit source]
This session will host Wikimedians from all around the world, including South Africa, Sweden, Georgia, and more to talk about their experiences advocating for copyright reforms. The audience will learn why modern and flexible copyright laws are essential to help the free knowledge movement flourish, lessons learned and how to work on advocacy strategies that will help the movement to remove undue legal barriers to access to knowledge. The first part will focus on each Wikimedians’ story. We will hear about Freedom of Panorama as a 9-year struggle in South Africa, and as a 2-year process in post-soviet Georgia. We will learn how devastating defeats in Sweden led to a new opportunity for civil society organizations and Wikimedia to join government discussions. We will also hear how Wikimedians in ESEAP focus on raising awareness about copyright laws in general.
The second half of the discussion will invite reflections about broader learnings that can be gleaned from existing challenges and opportunities. The perspectives from these diverse voices will illuminate both what is shared across these geographies – whether challenges or successes – and what is unique to each country. It will also shed light on what is needed to develop successful advocacy strategies that contribute to a more balanced and flexible copyright system.
Participants include: Douglas Scott, Wikimedia South Africa Patricia Diaz Rubio, Wikimedia Chile Catalina Frigerio, Wikimedia Chile Rachmat Wahidi, Wikimedia Indonesia Eric Luth, Wikimedia Sweden Mehman Ibragimov, Wikimedia Georgia
Further details[edit source]
Qn. How does your session relate to the event themes: Diversity, Collaboration Future?
- Diversity*
This session will cover multiple initiatives by different local communities of the Wikimedia movement. These diverse experiences are essential to showcase how context-dependent public policy work is, but also what challenges and successes are shared in our movement even despite these differences.
- Collaboration*
The session has been designed to start a conversation and learn the different approaches to advocate for copyright reforms. The goal for this panel is to help Wikimedians understand that regardless of where they are based or how resource-constrained they are, there are ways in which they can get involved to advocate for copyright laws that will support free knowledge. We can share best-practices and learnings that can be adapted to fit the specific contexts of each Wikimedia community.
- Future*
Knowledge equity is a core goal of the 2030 Wikimedia Movement Strategy. Outdated and restrictive copyright laws mean that there are unequal geographies of access to knowledge, even across the Wikimedia movement. These copyright laws are a barrier to knowledge equity. This panel will help the Wikimedia movement share ideas about how to take important first steps to overcome the barrier of copyright laws that don’t support equal access to and participation in free knowledge projects.
Qn. What is the experience level needed for the audience for your session?
Some experience will be needed
Qn. What is the most appropriate format for this session?
Onsite in Singapore
Remote online participation, livestreamed- Remote from a satellite event
- Hybrid with some participants in Singapore and others dialing in remotely
- Pre-recorded and available on demand
