The digital public domain

The COMMUNIA thematic network to hold workshop on Technology and the Public Domain

Torino: 12th December 2007

The COMMUNIA thematic Network has announced that a workshop will be held in Torino on the 18th January 2008 titled: Technology and the Public Domain . The COMMUNIA thematic network commenced operation on the 1st September 2007 and will continue through to the end of August 2010.

The main goal of the COMMUNIA project is to build a network of organisations that shall become the single European point of reference for high-level policy discussion and strategic action on all issues related to the public domain in the digital environment, as well as related topics such as alternative forms of licensing for creative material (including, but not limited to, Creative Commons licenses), open access to scientific publications and research results, management of works whose authors are unknown (i.e. orphan works).

In order to avoid duplication of efforts and resources the COMMUNIA thematic network intends to collaborate with other existing or emerging eContent+ projects will be sought on all the topics of interest to the COMMUNIA project:

• Public Sector Information, collaboration - in the form of information exchanges, participation in events and, if feasible, organization of joint actions with ePSIplus - as well as other projects that will be identified during the lifetime of the COMMUNIA Thematic Network - will be sought whenever appropriate;

• Geographical/spatial information, collaboration - in the form of information exchanges, participation to events and, if feasible, organization of joint actions - with the EC-funded projects EGN, GEOMIND and eWater (as well as other projects that will be identified during the lifetime of the COMMUNIA Thematic Network) will be sought whenever appropriate;

The COMMINIA thematic network has formed five working groups:

• WG1: Education and scientific research (EDUSCIENCE)

• WG2: Technology issues (TECH)

• WG3: Libraries and archives (LIBRARIES)

• WG4: Economic analysis and new business paradigms (ECONOMICS)

• WG5: The public sphere (PUBLIC)