Communia: the International Association on the Public Domain

Communia: the International Association on the Public Domain
Status: 
concluded
Period: 
September 2007 - February 2011
Funding: 
Virtually none (association fees to cover costs)
Funding organization: 

None (the EU Communia project funded the incorporation)

Person(s) in charge: 
Executive summary: 

The Communia International Association on the Public Domain is a network of researchers and practitioners from universities, NGOs and SME established in 10 European Member States.

The Association, co-funded by the Nexa Center, is becoming a point of reference within the European and International debate about the policies impacting on the public domain. In particular, Communia is based in Brussels to maximize its opportunities to interact with the European Commission and Parliament and it became a permanent observer at World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO ).

Background: 

The Nexa Center was the coordinator of Communia, the European Thematic Network on the Digital Public Domain. The project started in September 2007 and was formally concluded in February 2011. During the academic year 2011/2012, the Communia Network published its Final Strategic Report including a set of policy recommendations and the book "The Digital Public Domain: Foundations for an Open Culture”.

The Communia Association was incorporated under Belgian law during the Spring of 2012 gathering several of the most active members of Communia.

Objectives: 

Last Update: 2013-11-20; Next Expected Update: 2015-03-31

Communia aimed at framing the general discourse on and around the public domain in the digital environment by highlighting the challenges and opportunities arising from technological innovation, cultural development, and socio-economic change.

The Communia Association builds on these basis to foster, strengthen, and enrich the Public Domain. More specifically, the Association will educate about, advocate for, offer expertise and conduct research on the public domain in the digital age within society and with policy-makers.

Results: 

Last Update: 2013-11-20; Next Expected Update: 2015-03-31

The Communia Association reached important results, becoming a WIPO observer in October 2012 and publishing several papers and other policy statements, such as a recent Open Letter regarding the Commission’s stakeholder dialogue on text and data mining.

During the academic year 2012/2013 Juan Carlos De Martin, co-director of the Nexa Center, and Federico Morando, director of Research and Policy, participated to the activities of the Association as ordinary members.

Related Publications:
Nexa Center for Internet & Society
22 November 2013
Consultation on guidelines on recommended standard licences, datasets and charging for the re-use of public sector information
Federico Morando, Raimondo Iemma, Simone Basso
21 November 2013
Internet Policy Review
Marco Ricolfi, Juan Carlos De Martin, Carlo Blengino, Alessandro Cogo, Federico Morando
23 September 2013
Juan Carlos De Martin, Marco Ricolfi, Carlo Blengino, Alessandro Cogo
13 September 2011
Risposta del Centro Nexa alla seconda fase della consultazione AGCOM sul diritto d'autore
Marco Ricolfi, Federico Morando, Camilo Rubiano, Shirley Hsu, Marisella Ouma, Juan Carlos De Martin
9 September 2011
WIPO - Enabling Creativity in the Digital Environment: Copyright Documentation and Infrastructure
Marco Ricolfi
5 May 2011
Conference on the Future of Audiovisual Industry - Budapest, 2011
Juan Carlos De Martin, Marco Ricolfi, Carlo Blengino, Alessandro Cogo
4 Marzo 2011
Risposta del Centro Nexa alla consultazione AGCOM sul diritto d'autore
Marco Ricolfi
24 - 25 February 2011
12th EIPIN Congress 2011 - Constructing European IP: Achievements and new Perspectives
Marco Ciurcina, Juan Carlos De Martin, Thomas Margoni, Federico Morando e Marco Ricolfi
15 March 2009
Nexa working paper
Andrea Glorioso e Giuseppe Mazziotti
29 November 2008
Il Diritto d'Autore
Marco Ricolfi
June-July 2008
COMMUNIA Conference 2008, Louvaine-la-Neuve,