E-drug: Translation of information from the web (cont)
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Prof. Shoukhov asks about the status of translating articles from the
web. I have been attempting to address this matter for several
years, since I publish newsletters on AIDS in Indonesian language.
Below is a response I received to a similar question from Richard
Wilder of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
I find any restriction on the availability of health-related information
(other--perhaps--that textbooks) in the venacular very disturbing. To
me it is at least as crucial as the matter of patent rights on
essential
drugs, since (among many other concerns) if a doctor is lacking in
up-to-date information, he/she cannot prescribe or monitor the use of
these drugs properly. However, it has been impossible to raise any
level of concern over this problem among activists, who frequently
cannot imagine a situation in which they cannot access information
(including of course copyrighted information) freely on the
internet--there is little appreciation that the majority of people
with AIDS are unable to understand information in English.
It is of interest that the current Napster case in the US appears to
suggest that not only is the publisher of the allegedly copyright material
at risk, but also the funding organization, in that case the venture
capital company financing Napster. Thus I guess that potentially
international donor agencies funding translation/distribution might be at
risk!
I should add that of course this applies only to materials that are
actually copyrighted. Some organizations/publishers either do not
copyright such materials, or include in their copyright statement a
waiver allowing the materials to be freely used for non-commercial
purposes, usually with some form of acknowledgement. This is one
example of a concept called 'copyleft', designed to improve access to
information.
I could go on much longer on this topic, probably boring many in the
process, but if any e-druggers would like more background information,
please contact me direct.
Chris
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Chris W. Green (chrisg@rad.net.id)
AIDS Activist
Jakarta, Indonesia
Tel: +62-21 846-3029 Fax: +62-21 846-1247
Forwarded message:
Date sent: Mon, 23 Aug 1999 17:55:05 +0200