EU Commissioner Hails Open Knowledge, Urges Copyright Reform | Intellectual Property Watch

"Neelie Kroes, vice-president of the European Commission responsible for the Digital Agenda, today hailed open knowledge in government, science, the internet, and education, and called again for “urgent reform” of copyright. In a speech to the Open Knowledge Foundation in Berlin, Kroes said openness and sharing of ideas is essential to the economy and innovation. Kroes is in office until 31 October, as the European Commission is undergoing its five-year transition. In particular, Kroes suggested that copyright needs to be reformed to ensure it does not interfere with access to knowledge in education. On the surface, this might appear inconsistent with views taken by the EU in negotiations at the World Intellectual Property Organization, where it has shown steadfast resistance to strengthening limitations and exceptions for libraries and archives (IPW, WIPO, 5 May 2014). But in the WIPO committee, discussions on exceptions for education are separate ..."