PRESS RELEASE: 17 May 2006

THE COPY/SOUTH DOSSIER
Issues in the economics, politics, and ideology of copyright in the global South.
Researched and published by the Copy/South Research Group
May 2006
ISBN: 978-0-9553140-1-8 (printed edition)
Not restricted by copyright

OVERVIEW:
The aim of the dossier is to open up debate on the real impact of copyright laws affecting the people of the more than 150 developing countries in the Global South, many of whom have never read a book, have no access to the Internet and are facing an indeterminate future. The dossier highlights issues that are not only unique to the Global South, but also focuses on those issues that affect both sides of the North - South divide. This dossier is addressed to the general public, researchers, educators, librarians, activists, and organizations concerned about access to knowledge who want to learn more about the global role of copyright and, in particular, copyright's largely negative role in developing countries of the global South. In more than 50 articles totalling 215 pages, we, in the Copy/South Research Group, who have researched and debated these issues over the past 12 months, have tried to critically analyse and assess a wide range of copyright-related issues that impact on the daily lives (and future lives) of those who live in the global South.

BACKGROUND:
How did the Copy/South dossier come into being? A first and draft version was prepared for a four-day intensive workshop held in August 2005 at the University of Kent in the United Kingdom and organised by the Copy/South Research Group. Of the 22 people who attended this 'by invitation only' session, more than 15 were from countries of the South. At this lively and very informative session, the draft dossier was subjected to some sharp criticisms; numerous suggestions for improvement were made, and additional articles and research angles proposed. A second version was circulated internally in January 2006. Further changes were made and this third version is the public version. It is a work of North/South collaboration, a product of the sharing of knowledge.

TO GET A COPY OF THE DOSSIER:
The dossier is being distributed for free. Go to the Copy/South website , download the dossier, and print it off yourself. It is available in various formats (PDF and RTF) and in files of various lengths to accommodate various download capacities. Alternatively, contact us by e-mail , and we can post you a copy of the dossier, either as a printed copy or as a CD.

CONTACT:
If you wish to contact The Copy/South Research Group for any reason -- for example, to make criticisms of the dossier, to give your own examples, to join in the future research effort -- our e-mail address is: .

FINANCIAL SUPPORTERS OF THE C/S RESEARCH GROUP: 1)The Open Society Institute, Budapest, Hungary; 2) HIVOS,The Hague,The Netherlands; 3)The Research Fund of Kent Law School, Canterbury, Kent UK.

COPY/SOUTH RESEARCH GROUP 17 May 2006
 http://www.copysouth.orghttp://www.copysouth.org