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Professor Sara Bannerman shared insights on the historical context of copyright and the need to consider research as a human right during our Right to Research event series last semester. As an expert in copyright history, Bannerman stressed the importance of knowing about the past to understand the present and future of copyright and intellectual property.  

One of the key takeaways from the talk was that copyright history provides us with valuable insights into alternative visions and formulations of copyright. Bannerman gave an example of how scientific journal articles were placed in the public domain at the founding of the Berne Convention, which challenges the idea of progress associated with the history of copyright. She also noted that there have been many impressive international battles and initiatives for user rights, but many of these have failed to bring about concrete access or change.  

Bannerman’s book, “International Copyright and Access to Knowledge,” focuses on the international copyright system and the fights for user rights. Bannerman looks at the history of international copyright in scientific works and notes that scientific works were not always treated the same as other copyright works. There was a recognition that scientific works had a special public interest in access, especially in the early days of vaccine development. However, the rights that were established for access to scientific works were quickly narrowed over time.  

For more information, check out the video on our YouTube. Don’t forget to subscribe to our channel for more informative content! https://youtu.be/OEQjJEubA3s?list=PLuk2SmOxN5RLpFEXCjM1K61lt5rkAiEWx