Rationale

CI [1]'s work on Access to Knowledge (A2K [2]) is predicated upon the fact that intellectual property rights (IPRs) are a consumer issue, not just an issue for business. For example, the expansion of the scope and enforcement of intellectual property rights at the behest of rights holders impacts on consumers by inhibiting the sharing and development of culture, by denying consumers the freedom to use goods in the way they reasonably expect to be able to (for example due to Digital Rights Management (DRM [3]) technology), and by making learning materials unaffordable or simply unavailable to consumers in developing countries.

A knowledge society can be developed only when there is access to information on all fronts. Such a society is sustainable when access to knowledge is unhampered and inclusive, promoting co-operative forms of knowledge production as the basis for innovation and creativity. The new paradigm considering knowledge as a public common is a new chance to extend collective intelligence to deepen and enlarge cultures in their diversity. The role of consumer organisations in making this possible is vital.

Current activities

• With support from OSI [4], CI seeks to engage with copyright [5] collecting societies to negotiate voluntary collective licences [6] over copyright materials for the personal use of consumers. In this way, we can legalise existing fair consumer uses of such materials, where law reform to formalise the legality of those uses is not a likely short term prospect.
• CI is assisting its members at a national level to oppose a variety of public policies that impede Access to Knowledge [7], such as the imposition of taxes, customs duties, and other imposts on information resources.
• Since 2009, funded by OSI, Consumers International has published the Consumers International IP Watchlist [8], which identifies countries whose IP policies and practices are harmful to consumers, to counterbalance the USTR's Special 301 Report of countries that are considered by the United States government to offer inadequate IPR protection. The IP Watchlist is used as a tool for campaigning and advocacy at national and international level.

• In 2012, CI published research addressing the problem of abuse of intellectual property rights [9]. Our research  mapped out strategies for combatting such abuse through the use of the laws under the TRIPS [10] Agreement, and through the use of consumer protection law.
• In 2010 with the support of OSI, Consumers International produced a Consumer Survey [11], which was used to gather evidence of consumers’ actual experience in trying to access and use materials in three areas covered by copyright: educational materials, software [12], films and music. Rather than focusing exclusively on legal barriers to the access and use of these materials, the survey uncovered evidence of other access barriers faced by consumers.
• CI has also supported national activities [13] of its members during 2010, including national-level case study research as well as advocacy and campaigning initiatives.
• In 2010 CI released a short educational film on A2K, titled When Copyright Goes Bad [14].
• Access to Knowledge - Copyright as a Barrier to Accessing Books, Journals and Teaching Material [15] was a two-year project (October 2004 to September 2006) implemented by Consumers International Kuala Lumpur Office with the support of the Open Society Institute Development Foundation (US) and the International Development Research Centre (Canada).