On the 17th of May, 2007, the Intellectual Property and Consumer Rights: Access to Knowledge (A2K), Culture and Information Seminar, promoted by the Center for Technology and Society (CTS) of FGV DIREITO RIO and the Brazilian Institute for Consumer Defense (Idec), launched the partnership between both institutions. The event also served as public launching of the Campaign Technological Restrictions: you pay and take less promoted by A2K Project Brazil and Idec.

That partnership aims at promoting researches and actions on Access to Knowledge (A2K), informing consumers about how abusing on rules that regulate intellectual property, and the use of technological restrictions (DRMs/TPMs) affect their rights. The A2K areas to be approached by those actions will include: research on book pricing; Technological Restrictions (TPMs); limitations and exceptions on copyright; copyright law amendment; interoperability; and web neutrality.

Ronaldo Lemos, Director of the Center for Technology and Society, pointed out the need for interoperability and flexibility, as well as the importance of social impacting on academic research development: “Brazilian information society must work out intellectual property and new technologies issues in order to compete on international marketplace”.

Marilena Lazzarini, President of Brazilian Institute for Consumer Defense, spoke about the importance of access to knowledge over Idec activities, relating consumption to society as a whole, not only to purchasing relationships.

Approximately a hundred persons attended the Seminar, which was covered by vehicles like O Globo, Estado de São Paulo (two of the most important newspapers in Brazil), Jornal da Tarde newspaper, TV Record, TV Cultura and other online and offline vehicles.

The seminar sessions had the participation of representatives from the Copyright Coordination of Brazilian Ministry of Culture->, Brazilian Ministry of Justice, Brazilian Association of Reprographic Rights (ABDR), National Anti-Piracy Council (CNCP), Information Network for Third Sector (RITS) and main Brazilian Universities, besides representatives from Brazilian Institute for Consumer Defense and researchers from Center for Technology and Society, like Professors Ronaldo Lemos, Pedro Paranaguá, Sergio Branco and Carlos Affonso Souza.

The programme of Intellectual Property and Consumer Rights: Access to Knowledge (A2K), Culture and Information seminar included debates on the following main themes, each sub-theme being presented by one of the representatives listed above, and others.

The costs of knowledge and the book production chain

 Consumers, intellectual property and access to knowledge (A2K): research on book pricing in academic courses
 The book production chain

Copyright and the right to copy: a possible balance?

 Copyright and access to knowledge (A2K) in Universities
 “Copying Books is Right” Movement
 Lawsuits by Brazilian Association of Reprographic Rights (ABDR) against copying in Universities
 Class action against Brazilian Association of Reprographic Rights (ABDR)
 Fair intellectual property: balance between owner, author and consumer – Ministry of Justice’s point of view

Technologies that make knowledge scarce and affect Consumers

 Copyright protection systems and new technologies
 Technical Protection Measures (TPM): impacts on consumer
 Technical Protection Measures (TPM) and compensation system

Freedom, culture and information: building up a collaborative society

 Study on limitations and exceptions to Copyright
 Brazilian Copyright Law between forbidden and allowed: impacts on access to knowledge (A2K)
 Web neutrality and collaboration society