I was updating one of my lectures on copyright law recently and ran across a useful site from the government of Switzerland's Federal Institute of Intellectual Property. The site, available in German, French, Italian, and English versions, has some stimulating materials about intellectual property that may be useful to readers involved in security-awareness campaigns. Some readers may also want to pass on the information to their children or to teachers in their local communities.

In “The Debate is On” the authors introduce the fundamental issues behind proposed changes in European copyright law:

“How can we assure that artists and scientists continue receiving fair pay for their activities? What are the consequences when a copy is identical to the original? What entitlements do users have? How can access to digital content be secured? Is digitalization a dead-end or a highway?”

They point out the blessings and curses of widening access to the Internet and explain how the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has developed treaties to provide “starting points for WIPO member states in the process of revising their national protection to modern communication technology for authors, musicians and music producers.”

“Opinions” has a number of interesting sections:
* Copyright: Pro’s and Con’s
* Exceptions to Protection in the Digital Age
* Circumventing Technological Measures
* Digital Rights Management
* Protection of Rights Holders
* Archiving of Works

Other good contributions on the site include
* Copyright Today
* Copyright Tomorrow
* The Contentious Internet
* Links & Downloads
* FAQ
* Glossary
* News & Media

The English Copyright Debate Brochure is a 60-page booklet with some cute cartoons that summarizes the issues published on the Web site. It can be distributed to employees, instructors and students at no cost.

M. E. Kabay, PhD, CISSP-ISSMP, specializes in security and operations management consulting services. CV online.