Mira T. Sundara Rajan

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Moral Rights and New Technologies

Moral Rights & New Technologies: Authorship, Attribution, and Integrity in a Digital World

Conference Program

A Conference on the moral rights of authors, sponsored by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), and with the participation of the United States Copyright Office, held at Glasgow University on Friday, March 31st and Saturday, April 1st, 2017.

 

This conference was a follow-up event to an earlier Symposium held by the U.S. Copyright Office in 2016, as part of its public study on the moral rights of authors.

The goals of the Glasgow conference were to expand upon knowledge-gathering efforts at the U.S. Copyright Office by bringing together international experts on moral rights who would examine the treatment of these rights in different jurisdictions, seek to determine what lessons can be drawn from international experience of these rights for future policy-making and law reform efforts, explore the significance of moral rights for those engaged in the creative professions, and evaluate the relevance of moral rights in the technological context.

About the conference

The conference will be an international and interdisciplinary event, with participants from more than a dozen countries, and through the study of comparative law, creative practice, and technological challenges, this conference will explore the potential role of moral rights in the United States, where enactment of the rights remains limited.
These two day-long events will continue a conversation about moral rights that was initiated in Washington D.C. in April of 2016, at a joint Symposium organized by the United States Copyright Office and the George Mason University School of Law, which brought together authors, scholars, and other stakeholders for a broad discussion of moral rights from a U.S. perspective (https://www.copyright.gov/events/moralrights/). The conference will also contribute to the sharing of knowledge in this area reflected by the public study on moral rights initiated by the U.S. Copyright Office on January 23, 2017 and closing on March 30, 2017 (https://www.copyright.gov/policy/moralrights/). Day 1 will be largely dedicated to the treatment of moral rights in different countries, while Day 2 will focus on challenges to moral rights presented by technological change and the evolution of creative practices in the modern environment. The countries to be studied will include the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Spain, the Czech Republic, Canada, the United States, and Australia. Issues of interest will include computer software, “fake news,” identity, pseudonymity, and anonymity, data mining, 3D printing, open access, and the transformation of music, literature, and the fine arts through technology.

Moral rights

Moral rights are built on the foundational ideal of protection for  authorship, including the right to attribution for creative work and the right to respect for the integrity of the work. They have the dual character of personal rights benefiting authors and cultural rights that serve to protect cultural heritage and preserve historical truth.
The aim of the conference is to explore the current and future relevance of moral rights, paying close attention to the transformation of knowledge, information, creativity, identity, and truth in the technological context. The hope is to influence policy makers in the United States and beyond towards positive change for authors and society.

Impact

Through the study of comparative law, creative practice, and technological challenges, this conference will explore the potential role through the study of comparative law, creative practice, and technological challenges, this conference will explore the potential role of moral rights in the United States, where enactment of the rights remains limited.
These two day-long events will continue a conversation about moral rights that was initiated in Washington D.C. in April of 2016, at a joint Symposium organized by the United States Copyright Office and the George Mason University School of Law, which brought together authors, scholars, and other stakeholders for a broad discussion of moral rights from a U.S. perspective (https://www.copyright.gov/events/moralrights/). The conference will also contribute to the sharing of knowledge in this area reflected by the public study on moral rights initiated by the U.S. Copyright Office on January 23, 2017 and closing on March 30, 2017 (https://www.copyright.gov/policy/moralrights/). Day 1 will be largely dedicated to the treatment of moral rights in different countries, while Day 2 will focus on challenges to moral rights presented by technological change and the evolution of creative practices in the modern environment. The countries to be studied will include the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Spain, the Czech Republic, Canada, the United States, and Australia. Issues of interest will include computer software, “fake news,” identity, pseudonymity, and anonymity, data mining, 3D printing, open access, and the transformation of music, literature, and the fine arts through technology.

Policy Brief

Download the policy brief for an overview of all key features of the conference in a single document.

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Participants

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