Partners, sponsors and supporters

The Cyberspace Law and Policy Centre wishes to thank those organisations and indviduals that have provided it with financial and other support. In kind support has come from a wide range of people and organisations, including many in the legal and IT professions on an informal basis.

The ongoing activities of the Centre are funded by three main sources:

The Australian Research Council (ARC) and thus the Australian Government is the source of the majority of our research funding under the above two research projects.

AEShareNet Limited (AESL) is currently the principal supporter of the Centre through its participation in the Unlocking IP ARC research project. It is a non-profit company (established by the Australian Ministers of Education and Training). It operates a collaborative system to streamline the licensing of intellectual property so that Australian learning materials are developed, shared and adapted efficiently, particularly in the Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector. AESL is developing a suite of licences involving various degrees of public rights, to encourage and enable such sharing and trading, and business models based on them. Carol Fripp, General Manager, is a Partner Investigator. (AESL is in the process of merger with Australian Training Products Ltd, into a body which will also provide secretariat services to the National Industry Skills Council and the Vocational and Technical Education sector's National Quality Council.)

Baker & McKenzie is the largest law firm in the world, with offices in 35 countries ; its local and global partners were the foundation sponsors of the Centre, and the relationship continues on a different basis with the Unlocking IP research project. Their contributions include financial support, especially in the startup phase 2001-2004, in kind assistance, and the collaboration of partners, associates and staff in centre activities, including research, teaching and symposia. For further information, visit the firm's website <http://www.bakernet.com> .

The UNSW Law Faculty thanks Baker & McKenzie for their generous foundation support of the Centre, support which enabled it to develop its current research capabilities.

Galexia Consulting is a long standing supporter of the Centre in a number of ways, including providing online material for courses, research support, in kind assistance and other help. Chris Connolly was a founding co-director of the Centre.

IBM Australia Ltd (IBM) has made a very significant investment in the development of Open Source software and in adapting its business model to take advantage of Open Source and Open Standards. Aspects of IBM's business have a similar core interest in the Unlocking IP project's Open Source activities as Linux Australia; it is also keen to explore the requirements for and obstacles to 'open standards', and to understand where open content may be relevant. It is an Industry Partner in that specific aspect of the Unlocking IP. 'Rusty' Russell, a senior developer with IBM's Linux Labs, is a PI.

Linux Australia is one of the main industry organisations advocating Open Source software, mainly representing individual developers. It has a fundamental interest in better understanding the relationships between their particular licensing model (based on the General Public Licence (GPL)) and the broader public rights licences now arising (AESL licences, Creative Commons licences etc). They also need to investigate more fully aspects of copyright which have the capacity to promote or impede these models, by affecting implementation risk and business efficacy. Pia Waugh, software consultant and former president of Linux Australia, is a PI in Unlocking IP.

Open Source Industry Australia Limited (OSIA) is a non-profit organisation supporting software developers basing their business in part on open source software. OSIA Director Brendan Scott is a PI in Unlocking IP.

The Centre welcomes expressions of interest in the sponsoring of the Centre or some of its activities. Any enquiries should be directed  to:

Seed funding sponsorship for the initial six months of  the Centre's operations in 2000-1 included UNSW Faculty of Law - $5,000

Funding for the Centre has also come from it carrying out work under an Australian Research Council (ARC) small grant and from the organisation of the 'Digital Agenda' Briefing in November 2000.