Freedom of expression

Pakistan - Annual State of Media Report 2005-06
Pakistan - Annual State of Media Report 2005-06 30 May 2006 APC

Internews Pakistan (http://www.internews.org.pk) compiles an annual State of the Media in Pakistan report. The one for the year 2005-06 has recently been launched. Welcoming the report, Hasan Rizvi, one of the pioneers in ICTs and development communications guru in the country commented that "The report is somewhat sketchy, especially in terms of media’s coverage/access (geographic, demographic, ethnic, as well as thematic), the issues related to plurality, gender and the vast under-...

Alaa still in prison
Alaa still in prison 29 May 2006 APC

Alaa is fine, treatment is fine in prison..the problem is in the state security.. they can interfere with any other authorities.

South Korea, where IPR fights A2K
South Korea, where IPR fights A2K 18 May 2006 APC

South Korea is seeing some conflicts between IPR and access to knowledge (or, A2K). Over-protection of IPR may hamper access to knowledge. It is unfair to use the copyright law to prevent the public use of digital libraries.

Protest imprisonment of 100+ Egyptian free speech activists!
Protest imprisonment of 100+ Egyptian free speech activists! 09 May 2006 APC

“Pro-democracy demonstrators have been locked up and reformist judges face dismissal for criticising the Egyptian regime over its grip on power,” writes The Guardian on May 8. Sign the petitions for the immediate release of Alaa and the rest of the group that was kidnapped yesterday – and who’ll be detained for 15 days – on this blog.

Software Piracy Crackdown or ICT Human Rights Violations?
Software Piracy Crackdown or ICT Human Rights Violations? 26 April 2006 APC

Where the Government in Pakistan, Intellectual Property Organization, Federal Investigation Authorities and the Business Software Alliance BSA are initiating a crackdown on Software Piracy in Pakistan, there is hardly any awareness of piracy and its implications within society apart from members of the IT Industry. It is crucial to the basic Human Rights of the citizens of Pakistan that they fi...

Pakistan: Electronic Data Protection Act 2005 (Final Draft)
Pakistan: Electronic Data Protection Act 2005 (Final Draft) 24 April 2006 APC

Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB), a government entity has drafted “Electronic Data Protection Act 2005” by outsourcing the work to an individual Mr. Aslam Hayat Khan. As per PSEB, the proposed Act aims to prevent unauthorized access and theft of electronic data and to ensure intellectual property rights with regards to the processing of electronic data in Pakistan.

You're right. Copyright is wrong.
You're right. Copyright is wrong. 21 April 2006 APC

It is assumed that everyone who buys a cheap illegally-copied ("pirated") copy of music or software CD would actually buy the costly ‘official’ version. Links have been made by piracy and terrorism, which are actually quite ludicrous. ‘Intellectual property’ is used as a term, instead of ‘creative expression’. When something is called property, we are steal...

The dark subcontinent
The dark subcontinent 21 April 2006 APC

As far as radio waves go, South Asia could perhaps call itself the dark continent. This part of the planet has an almost-uniformly unenlightened policy when it comes to opening up its airwaves. Voices from Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and Nepal….

Blocked Sites, Bush's insecurity, WSF and Bomb blasts in Pakistan
Blocked Sites, Bush's insecurity, WSF and Bomb blasts in Pakistan 04 March 2006 APC

Internet traffic in Pakistan is very controlled as more than 90% of it is routed through Pakistan Internet Exchange (PIE).

While in Tunis...
While in Tunis... 21 November 2005 APC

But I’ve many interesting experiences at WSIS. For example, one evening in Tunis I was travelling back to my hotel by bus and the lady who was sitting next to me was talking to me in French. When I’ve problems explaining things in French, she started speaking to me in English and informed me that she used to work with a writer group in USA.

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