EPF Supports the Adoption of Creative Commons Licensing Framework in the South Caucasus

The “Center for Information Law and Policy” (Armenia) and the “Young Lawyers Union” (Azerbaijan) were identified as winners in Armenia and Azerbaijan respectively under the regional grant competition “Support to the Adoption of Creative Commons Licensing Framework in the Countries of the South Caucasus”. In July 2008, these two organizations were awarded individual grants to implement a 12-month project in collaboration with the Germany-based Creative Commons International and a team of local experts in Georgia. Overall, the regional project will enable and popularize the legal sharing and reuse of cultural, educational, and scientific works in the countries of the South Caucasus. This will be achieved through offering free and easy-to-use Creative Commons framework to creators, artists, and educators, as well as other internet-based communities in Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. The “Center for Information Law and Policy” NGO and its partners in Azerbaijan and Georgia will explore possibilities for implementing a consistent, robust and internationally accepted framework for intellectual property rights for web-based materials, and will eventually adapt Creative Commons framework to conditions in Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia respectively. The project will provide for an extensive stakeholder involvement and broad public awareness campaign in each of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. If successful, the program will harness further intellectual activity in the South Caucasus, will potentially provide a newer mechanism for economic activity, and, at the same time, will enhance opportunities for cross-border collaboration among creative communities in the South Caucasus and beyond.

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