Sara Bannerman (McMaster University)
Thursday, February 16, 2017, 2 pm-4 pm
Sankey Chamber

The principle of Access to Knowledge (A2K) has become a common reference point for a diverse set of agendas that all hope to realize technological and human potential by making knowledge more accessible. This book is a history of copyright focussed on principles of Access to Knowledge and their proponents.

Traditional histories of copyright have showcased France, the United Kingdom, Germany, and the United States. Countries and groups that often do not appear in traditional copyright histories have been, in many cases, the main proponents of access. This history shifts its focus to these protagonists. An alternate history of international copyright is important given the current battles over copyright in international fora. This book examines the roles of developing countries and NGOs as part of a long tradition of advocacy for Access to Knowledge that dates back 125 years.

Sara Bannerman is Associate Professor of Communication Studies and Multimedia and Canada Research Chair in Communication Policy and Governance at McMaster University. She has published articles and book chapters on international copyright, crowdfunding, historical institutionalism, and Canadian media coverage of same-sex marriage.  Her research area is the networked governance of communication, including copyright and intellectual property, communications law & policy, the international governance of communications, and communications policy history.  She the author of International Copyright and Access to Knowledge (CambridgeUP) and The Struggle for Canadian Copyright: Imperialism to Internationalism, 1842-1971 (UBC Press, 2013).

For further information, contact Zachary Spicer.