About this site
This site houses the mailing lists of the working groups that have been convened for the Access to Knowledge projects being led by Consumers International. There are three working groups:
- A Member Working Group comprising CI members and other like-minded NGOs interested in advancing consumer interests in intellectual property rights. This group is not closed: if you qualify you are very welcome to request to join.
- An Expert Advisory Group made up of IP and A2K experts, and led by CI's A2K project coordinator. This group is closed, but its working documents and the archives of its discussions are publicly available.
- A Steering Committee, made up of five members from CI and its partner organisations, to exercise oversight over the projects. This group is closed, and its discussions are private.
If you were logged in, any of these groups of which you are a member would be listed to the side. This online home for the working groups offer these facilities, for which help is available:
- Reading and posting messages via the Web and/or or by email
- Viewing the contact details of other working group members (if provided)
- Uploading links and documents for the use of working group members
- Subscribing to an RSS feed of messages or documents posted to the group
About the A2K projects
In 2008 CI has launched two related projects to improve Access to Knowledge for consumers. The broader project, funded by Ford Foundation, aims to bolster consumer organisations’ voices worldwide in trade negotiations and other forums where consumer interests are being marginalised through one-sided intellectual property (IP) regimes. The main outcome is the development of a Global Consumer Dialogue and Public Education Network on A2K Issues, whose public Web site is A2Knetwork.org.
The second project, funded by the Open Society Institute (OSI), aims to produce a Consumers International IP Watch List, which will identify countries whose IP policies and practices are harmful to consumers. This Watch List will be used as a counterbalance to the United States' Special 301 Report, which is an annual report highlighting those countries that supposedly do not provide strong enough protection for the interests of US intellectual property owners.
About Consumers International
Consumers International (CI) is the only independent global campaigning voice for consumers. With over 220 member organisations in 115 countries, we are building a powerful international consumer movement to help protect and empower consumers everywhere. For more information, visit www.consumersinternational.org.