The Fundação Getulio Vargas and the Yale Internet and Society Project have just released a remarkable first, the publication of Access to Knowledge in Brazil an open licensed book on access to knowledge in Brazil. The book examines open business, exceptions and limitations to copyright in Brazil, how to promote innovation in biotechnology in Brazil, and access to medicines.
The book was released today, Open Access day. The book can be ordered through Lulu, or downloaded free, for non commercial use. (It is under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike License)
Since the release today I have only had a chance to glance at it. I’ve had the privelige of working with both the centers at FGV, and Yale ISP, and I know that they produce cutting edge work, so I am looking forward to read it. Because its available online I’ll be able to do that sooner rather than the later or never, later if I could only obtain it on an infrequent journey to the USA or never if I were wait for the book to become available from a publisher in South Africa.
I am also looking forward to reading the book, which, given its authors, promises to be very good. The timing is perfect for South Aficans interested in Open Access, as we spent Open Access Day with the South African National Journal Editors Forum discussing the possibility of South African/Brazilian cooperation – with SciELO – in the creation of a national platform for open access South African journals. This was in the context of the Academy of Sciences of South Africa (ASSAF) project for the support of South African scholarly publishing, to increase the volume, quality and impact of South African research, in the region and glbally.
A further thought. Should we not try to get some copies of the book printed and bound in South Africa for those of us who want them? We could do this through someone like Electric Book Works, with the agreement of Yale ISP and it would be a great way to demonstrate the advantages of open access for global distribution.