info 442 chapter 4

INFO 442: INFORMATION POLICY AND INTELLECTUAL

PROPERTY

Senait.s

(Bsc,Msc)

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Chapter Four Ethiopia information policy and Data

Rights • Ethiopia information policy

• Ethiopian Copyright Act

• Policy Paper

• Ethiopian Initiatives

• Ethiopian Legislation

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Ethiopia information policy • On National Information policy, Ethiopian Science and

Technology Commission conducted a study to assess the situation and problems of information and related activities in Ethiopia in 1990.

• The study found that African Countries with Ethiopia inclusive, though, are becoming increasingly aware of the fact that information is an indispensable factor in the development and rational use of a country's total resources, both natural and human; are faced with the problems of inaccessibility and poor handling of information.

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Ethiopia information policy • In the same period, that information and

documentation activities in a number of sectors are quite unsatisfactory.

• Even most African countries do not have proper mechanism for keeping track of the published and unpublished information of interest to their researchers, planners and decision makers.

• The result also indicated that at that time no African country had formulated a national information policy that is in operation.04/11/23 4

Ethiopia information policy • Several African countries, including Ethiopia, lacked

resources that could enable them obtain information from external sources on a systematic basis, skilled information personnel and financial assistance. Hence, the lack of national information policy in most countries.

• But is the situation today in Ethiopia?

• It is gratifying to note that there is a legal deposit law in place.

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Ethiopia information policy • The policy grants the National Archive and Library (NALE)

of Ethiopia in Part Two of proclamation 179/1999, section 8 (2) & (14), empowered NALE as an agency in the Ministry of Tourism and Culture to:

• “Operate as a national repository center of printed matter, gray literature, non-printed documents, manuscripts historical, archives and records, tradition and oral history audio recording, video recordings, audio-video recordings and other documentary heritage; endeavor, by making use of state-of-the art technology, to preserve them for study and research purposes”.

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Ethiopia information policy • It is to “serve as a repository center for

publication of international and national organizations as well as research institutions” respectively.

The policy has multiplying effect on the agency and librarians in the country in terms of obligation by the citizens and the organization and dissemination of the countries heritage to provide ample development economically, politically, educationally, etc.

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Ethiopian Copyright Act & Policy Paper

• Copyright or Intellectual property Rights

• One of the most complex legal and ethical issues facing information creators, disseminators, organizers and users is the issue of copyright and intellectual property.

• Intellectual property includes a variety of products, including patents, trade marks, and publications (print, electronic and audiovisual).

• Of course, a major issue in the field of library and information science is the copyright of publications.

• Central to this extend the creator or publisher of information can control the copying and use of that information by others.

Ethiopian Copyright Act & Policy Paper cont’

• This has been further complicated with the development of the internet, which is changing our notion of "publication".

• Does something become a publication once it is available on the internet?

• The basic idea is that by rewarding individuals for their creative efforts, the society benefits.

Ethiopian Copyright Act & Policy Paper cont”

• This benefit cannot be assumed in each and every case, and from a constitutional perspective, information policies must consider a balance between the interests of those who deserve to profit from their ideas and creations and the rights of individuals to have access to and use information.

• This balance can be very difficult to obtain, especially given the political power of the for - profit- sector.

• Sometimes, it seems as though the current attitude is that the copyright law is primarily to protect the economic interests of publishers and producers.


• This tension has created considerable controversy.

• Librarians find themselves in the center of this controversy because they depend on authors and producers of information to maintain the reservoir of knowledge that is so critical to library functions.

• Also have a strong conviction that information access, either physical or electronic, should be available at minimum or no cost to the user.

• Hence, librarians favor very generous copying privilege , and producers favor restricted ones.


• Eg, the constitutional objective of promoting developments in the useful arts and sciences and rewarding creators for their original ideas is codified in federal law through the US copyright Act.

• The act does not deal with the ideas themselves but with ideas once they are "fixed" in some form, which may be fixed in a variety of formats, including print, DVD, or a record in an electronic database.

• Generally, copyright ownership resides with the author of the work, unless it is turned over to another individual or organization such as a publisher.


• The copyright Act protects eight categories of works:

• - Literacy works

• - Musical works, including any accompanying works

• - Dramatic works, including any accompanying music

• - Pantomimes and choreographic works

• - Pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works

• - Motion pictures and other audiovisual works

• - Sound recordings

• - Architectural works (17 US.C.Section 102@ 1988 & Supp V. 1993).


• Education Legislation

• Various library and education related legislation and policy statements have a considerable effect on the information infrastructure; including libraries.

• Aiming at the most notable items are the "no children left Behind" initiatives through the Elementary Education Act, and the Higher Education Act of 1965/1994/2001.

• The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) was created to Supplement state and local support to improve the quality of education for elementary and secondary school, both public and private.


• ESEA helped resolve the problem by providing monies for textbooks, library resources, and other instructional materials.

• Since its enactment funds have been used for development, of curriculum and instructional materials, staff training and development, selection and purchase of instructional and library materials for pupil's and teachers, setting of educational standards, demonstration of media programs, support of special education programs for bilingual studies, and support for the acquisition of materials in areas of social problems.


• The Ethiopian Intellectual Property Office (EIPO) is an autonomous unit of the Ethiopian Science and Technology Agency.

It was established in 2003 to provide legal protection for intellectual property (IP) rights.

• It is headed by a Director-General. The EIPO comprises five core business units and two support units. It is based in Addis Ababa.

• The interrelationships which exist between and among the followings: information communications, information technology, information economics, information privacy,

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Ethiopian Copyright Act & Policy Paper

• information systems, information confidentiality, information science, information networks, and information management have signaled the need for a broader and more comprehensive approach to the problem of intellectual property rights.

• Ethiopian Intellectual property (IP) rights has its activities that are related to patents, designs, plant breeder rights, and copyright protection but are not well understood by the public, which could be attributed to lack of publicity.

• The available IP information has not been exploited due to inadequate capacities at universities and at research and development implementing institutions.

• With this background, promotion of uptake of new knowledge, technology, soft ware, etc through the protection and use of intellectual rights will be encouraged and supported. 04/11/23 17

Policy Paper • The Government of Ethiopia in 2005 in a policy draft

document on ICT acknowledges that the existing ICT legal and regulatory framework in Ethiopia was either outdated or inadequate to meet the challenges of a fast-growing national and global ICT sector.

• It went further to emphasis dynamic developments in the global and national ICT environment.

• That urgent reforms are needed in Ethiopia's legal and regulatory regime to facilitate and guide the development of ICT in the country.

• That appropriate policy and regulatory reforms are also needed to ensure equitable, reliable, and affordable access to ICT.04/11/23 18

Ethiopian Initiatives • In 2004, not long after the restructuring of Information

Technology (IT) sectors, the Ethiopian Telecommunications Agency took the initiative to invite the Ethiopian Information and Communication Technology Development Authority (EICTDA) and the Ethiopian Telecommunications Corporation (ETC) to discuss on issues of cyberspace security and encryption policy.

• On this initiative, the three institutions agreed on the importance of cyberspace security policy and formed a joint technical committee, which followed up the process of formulating information security policy and standards.

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Ethiopian Initiatives • The institutions have also reached at a common

understanding that EICTDA has more broader legal framework and resources to lead the initiative.

• On the basis of this, EICTDA employed a consultant to conduct a general assessment on how to go forward to develop a national information security strategy and an action plan.

• Currently, the Ethiopian ICT Development Authority is working on the preparation of information security standards, which is yet to be formulated in Ethiopia.

• Cyber Ethiopia is another organization that is pioneering information gateway to all; on the World Wide Web. 04/11/23 20

Ethiopian Initiatives

• It was created in 1996. Cyber Ethiopia is a non-profit foundation based in Geneva, Switzerland and run by young dedicated individuals who believe that the adoption, adaptation and development of Information and Communication Technologies can be an enabling instrument and play a catalyst role in bringing development to the country.

• Without any funding or commercial interest, Cyber Ethiopia is the result of few individuals who devoted their time and know-how to set some foundation for Ethiopians to participate in the Information Society and stimulate awareness among decision makers and Ethiopians at large about the critical role ICTs play in the global era.

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• Objectives of CyberEthiopia

• i. Be a reference on the World Wide Web for timely, relevant and accurate information related to

Ethiopia [Information]

• ii. Develop and promote technologies that push forward the use of the millenary Ethiopian characters on the Internet [Technology]

• iii. foster dialogue, collaboration and knowledge sharing among Ethiopians (both inside and outside the country) in particular by offering appropriate e-forums in local Ethiopian languages as it fits a democratic, free and prosperous Ethiopia [Communication]04/11/23 22


• iv. Initiate an Ethiopian "cyber" culture by encouraging information exchange and content creation in local Ethiopian

languages [Cultural Heritage]

• v. Stimulate basic e-commerce of items related to Ethiopia (Books, CDs, Arts & Decorations) [E-Commerce]

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Ethiopian Legislation on Data rights• In Ethiopia, a number of proclamations

and supporting regulations have been made that contain provisions for the protection and management of the environment, and which reflect the principles of the constitution.

• But currently cyber security policy and standards are inexistent.

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Ethiopian Legislation on Data rights• Information security law, ethics and relevant

legislation and regulation concerning the management of information in an organization is not yet developed.

• The Legal and Regulatory ICT Environment requires an appropriate legal and regulatory environment.

• This is both in terms of ICT as a sector or industry and ICT as a tool and facilitator of social and economic development of a country.

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