The Organization of COMMUNIA

COMMUNIA is coordinated by the NEXA Research Center for Internet and Society at the Politecnico of Torino. A full description, with contact info, of the project management team is available here.

The core of the network is, of course, represented by its members.
The founding members are 36, with five and ten more members to be added at the end of the first and the second year of the project (September 2008 and September 2009), respectively.

Besides the management team and the network members, COMMUNIA is aided by a committee of prestigious advisors: Prof. Dr. Maximilian Herberger, Prof. Jerome H. Reichman, Prof. Stefano Rodota', Dr. Paul F. Uhlir.

COMMUNIA Founding Members

The network will cover almost the whole geographical territory of the European Union as well as neighbouring countries; it will also build strategic relationships with non-European countries, such as the United States and Brazil, where similar policy discussions are underway.

The network includes 36 organisations - universities, consumer organisations, libraries, archives, SMEs - from Member States of the European Union, from candidate countries and from third countries, such as the USA and Brazil.

European Union Countries

• Austria:
• Internationaler Medienverbund reg.Gen.m.b.H. (IMGEN);
• Belgium:
• Bureau Europeén des Unions de Consommateurs (BEUC);
• Université Catholique de Louvaine (UCL);
• Facultès Universitaires Notre-Dame de la Paix (CRID);
• Finland:
• Taideteollinen korkeakoulu (TAIK);
• France:
• Centre de recherche en Science administrative (University of Paris II & CNRS) (CERSA);
• Committee on Data for Science and Technology (CODATA);
• SARL SOPINSPACE, Société pour les espaces publics d'information (SOPINSPACE);
• Germany:
• Europäische EDV-Akademie des Rechts gGmbH (EEAR);
• Hungary:
• Neumann János Digitális Könyvtár és Multimédia Központ Kht. (NEUMANN);
• Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BUTE);
• Italy:
• Politecnico di Torino (POLITO - COORDINATOR);
• Department of Economics "S. Cognetti de Martinis" - University of Turin (DEPECONTUR);
• Lithuania:
• A Kulikausko mon "Minciu sodas" (MS);
• Luxembourg:
• Luxcommons ASBL (LUXCOMMONS);
• Poland:
• Nicolaus Copernicus University Library (NCU);
• ICM center at University of Warsaw (ICM);
• Portugal:
• Universidade Católica Portuguesa (UCP);
• Romania:
• Asociatia pentru Tehnologie si Internet (APTI);
• Slovenia:
• Institut za intelektualno lastnino (IIL)
• Spain:
• Universitat de Barcelona (UB);
• Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC);
• The Netherlands:
• University of Amsterdam (UvA);
• Stichting Nederland Kennisland (KL);
• Stichting Nederlands Instituut voor Beeld en Geluid (Beeld en Geluid);
• Waag Society (WAAG);
• European Bureau of Library, Information and Documentation Associations (EBLIDA);
• United Kingdom:
• The University of Edinburgh (UEDIN);
• iCommons Ltd. (ICOMMONS);
• The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE);

Candidate Countries

• Croatia:
• Multimedia Institute (MI2);
• Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia:
• Metamorphosis Foundation (METAMORPHOSIS);

European (non Member States) Countries

• Switzerland:
• Research Center for Information Law at the University of St. Gallen (FIR-HSG);

Non-European Countries

• United States of America:
• Creative Commons Corporation (CC);
• Consumer Project on Technology (CPTECH);
• Brazil:
• Center for Technology and Society of Fundação Getúlio Vargas Law School - Rio de Janeiro (CTS/FGV);

The impact of the Thematic Network is furthermore assured by the fact that several of the project's members are "umbrella organizations"; their participation ensures a direct dissemination and uptake of the ongoing elaboration and results of the project by the members of each organisation. More specifically, the Thematic Network will include from the start the following "umbrella organisations":

• BEUC: The European Consumers' Organisation, is a Brussels based federation of 40 independent national consumer organisations from the EU, accession and EEA countries.
• CODATA: CODATA is an interdisciplinary Scientific Committee of the International Council for Science (ICSU), founded 30 years ago which works to improve the quality, reliability, management and accessibility of data of importance to all fields of science and technology;
• Creative Commons through Creative Commons International, based in Berlin;
• EBLIDA: The European Bureau of Library, Information and Documentation Associations is an independent umbrella organization of national library, information, documentation and archive associations and institutions in Europe.

The above institutions are currently finalizing the formal aspects of their network membership.

Advisory Committee

The Advisory Committe is composed of persons who have distinguished themselves for their expertise, contributions and insight on the public domain and related issues. The AC gives non-binding opinions on reports and topics of interest and relevance to the COMMUNIA project.

• Prof. Dr. Maximilian Herberger Professor Maximilian Herberger is Director of the Institut für Rechtsinformatik (Institute for legal data-processing) at the Universität des Saarlandes (http://rechtsinformatik.jura.uni-saarland.de/), Chairman of the Deutscher EDV-Gerichtstag e.V. ( http://www.edvgt.de/) and publisher of the independent web-based journal for legal data-processing and information law 'JurPC' (http://www.jurpc.de/).

• Prof. Jerome H. Reichman JEROME H. REICHMAN is Bunyan S. Womble Professor of Law at Duke Law School. He has written and lectured widely on diverse aspects of intellectual property law, including comparative and international intellectual property law and the connections between intellectual property and international trade law. His articles in this area have particularly addressed the problems that developing countries face in implementing the World Trade Organization's Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS Agreement). On this and related themes, he and Keith Maskus have recently edited a book entitled international public goods and transfer of technology under a globalized intellectual property regime (Cambridge University Press 2005). Other recent writings have focused on intellectual property rights in data; the appropriate contractual regime for online delivery of computer programs and other information goods; and on the use of liability rules to stimulate investment in innovation. Recent articles include: “The Globalization of Private Knowledge Goods and the Privatization of Global Public Goods” (co-authored with Keith Maskus), 7 Journal of International Economic Law 279-320 (2004); “A Contractually Reconstructed Research Commons for Scientific Data in a Highly Protectionist Intellectual Property Environment” (co-authored with Paul Uhlir), 66 Law and Contemporary Problems 315-462 (2003); and Using Liability Rules to Stimulate Local Innovation in Developing Countries: Application to Traditional Knowledge (with Tracy Lewis) in international public goods and transfer of technology under a globalized intellectual property regime (2005). Professor Reichman serves as special advisor to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development’s Project on Stimulating Local Production of Pharmaceuticals in Developing Countries. He recently served as special advisor to the United States National Academies and the International Council for Science (ICSU) on the subject of legal protection for databases. He is a consultant to numerous intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations; a member of the Board of Editors, Journal of International Economic Law; and on the Scientific Advisory Boards of il Diritto di Autore (Rome) and IP Watch (Geneva, Switzerland).

• Prof. Stefano Rodotà Prof. Stefano Rodotà: Professor of Civil Law, University of Rome; Chairman of the Italian Data Protection Authority; former Chairman of the European Group of the Data Protection Authorities Chairman of the Commission on Genetic Testing and Counselling; Member of the European Group on Ethics in science and technologies, Member of the Convention drafting the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (2000); Former Member of the HUGO Ethics Committee (1997-2000); Member of the Ethics Committee of the National Research Council; Work in the field of the legal and social effects of scientific innovation (1972-2000); Important work in the field of bioethics (1989-2000); Author of several books and editor of a number of periodicals; Member of the Italian Parliament (1979-1994); Vice-President of the Chamber of Deputies (1992); Member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (1983-1994); Member of the European Commission's Group of Advisers on the Ethical Implications of Biotechnology (1994-1997); Member of the European Group on Ethics (since 1998); Chairman of the European Group of Authorities for the Protection of Privacy (1999-2000).

• Dr. Paul F. Uhlir PAUL F. UHLIR, J.D., is Director of the Office of International Scientific and Technical Information Programs at the U.S. National Academies in Washington, DC. He also directs the U.S. National Committee for CODATA. Paul's area of emphasis is on issues at the interface of science, technology, and law, with primary focus on digital information policy and management. Prior to 1999, Paul was the Associate Executive Director of the Commission on Physical Sciences, Mathematics, and Applications at the National Academies, and from 1985 to 1991 he was senior staff officer at the Academies' Space Studies Board, where he directed projects on solar system exploration and environmental remote sensing programs for NASA. Before joining the National Academies, he was a foreign affairs officer at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, where he worked on remote sensing law and policy and on intergovernmental agreements for cooperation in meteorological satellite programs. Paul has published over 20 Academy reports, and written more than 50 articles. He has been involved in numerous consulting and pro bono activities, and speaks worldwide on a broad range of information policy and management issues. In 1997 he received the National Research Council's Special Achievement award for his work in this area. He holds a B.A in history from the University of Oregon, and a J.D. and M.A. in international relations from the University of San Diego.