"Unlocking IP" Research Project –
Grant from ARC
June 2005

Following the 'Unlocking IP' conference in late 2004 (whose pages are held on this site), a grant application was made for a research project involving a number of the participants, including industry partners and a range of distinguished academic researchers from around Australia.

The success of this application was announced on June 21 2005 in the document http://www.arc.gov.au/pdf/LP05_Rd2_listing_state_university.pdf in the notice extracted below. Further details will be posted in due course.

LP0562485 Prof GW Greenleaf; Prof MD Pendleton; Dr K Bowrey; Dr M Rimmer; Mr BC Mercurio; Prof BF Fitzgerald; Prof JP McKeough; Prof P Griffith; Mr P Chung; Prof J Dalziel; Mr I Oi; Mr PM Crisp

Title: Unlocking IP - Expanding public rights and the public domain in Australian copyright

• 2005: $67,500
• 2006: $145,000
• 2007: $159,500
• 2008: $82,000

Category: 3901 - LAW

APA(I) Award(s): 2

Partner Organisation(s)

• AEShareNet Limited
• Baker & McKenzie
• Linux Australia Inc.
• Open Source Industry Australia Limited
• IBM Australia Ltd
• LAMS International Pty Ltd

Administering Institution: The University of New South Wales

Summary:
This research investigates how Australia's digital commons, comprising both the public domain and public rights created by open content and open software licensing, can be expanded and protected. It focuses on 'self help' actions within the existing statutory context, in Australia's distinct legal and cultural context, and on comprehensiveness.

Its significance is that healthy commons-based production of information is essential to Australia as an innovative country and a democracy.

The principal outcomes will be better understood and more efficient public rights licences, incentives to copyright owners to create them, and technical aids to allow users to find commons content.

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