Online Forum on Intellectual Property in the Information Society

The World Intellectual Property Organization is hosting an online discussion on the role of intellectual property in the "Information Society". The forum is taking place between June 1 to 15, 2005.

Comments are invited on 10 themes:

1. The World Summit on the Information Society Declaration of Principles sets out a vision for the information society - how can the intellectual property system support
   this vision?
2. The intellectual property system and freedom of expression and creativity: Help or hindrance?
3. The public domain and open access models of information creation: at odds with the intellectual property system or enabled by it?
4. What is the impact of copyright law, both at international and national levels, on education and research?
5. What are the rights and responsibilities of intellectual property rightsholders?
6. Global partnerships to achieve the United Nations Millennium Development Goals: what role for intellectual property?
7. How is intellectual property policy made for the information society: and who makes it?
8. How can cultural and intellectual diversity of traditional communities be respected in the information society?
9. Emerging business models for distributing intellectual property online: opportunity or threat?
10. What are the challenges for enforcement of intellectual property rights in the digital environment?

Each of the above themes has its own page on the WIPO site with a commentary about the issue and a list of questions to consider as well as background resources.