Open Access and the Public Domain in Digital Data and Information for Science: Proceedings of an International Symposium (2003)

Summary: This international symposium was held on 10-11 March 2003 at United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Headquarters in Paris. Its purpose was to: 1. Describe the role, value, and limits that the public domain and open access to digital data and information have in the context of international research. 2. Identify and analyze the various legal, economic, and technological pressures on the public domain in digital data and information, and their potential effects on international research. 3. Review the existing and proposed approaches for preserving and promoting the public domain and open access to S&T data and information on a global basis, with particular attention to the needs of developing countries. 4. Identify and analyze important issues for follow up by the International Council for Science (ICSU) family of organizations and for the development of an Action Plan in this area by ICSU and UNESCO in preparation for the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS).