Day September 26, 2022

Reconceptualizing Open Access to Theses and Dissertations

[Orit Fischman Afori and Dalit Ken-Dror Feldman] Abstract: The global COVID-19 crisis has turned public attention to the special need for accessing cutting-edge studies that are needed for further scientific innovation. Theses and dissertations (TD) are prominent examples of cutting-edge innovative studies. TD are academic research projects conducted by graduate students to acquire a high academic degree, such as a PhD. They encompass not only knowledge about basic science but also knowledge that generates social and economic value for society. Therefore, access to TD is imperative for promoting science and innovation.

End-User Flexibilities in Digital Copyright Law – An Empirical Analysis of End-User License Agreements

[Péter Mezei and István Harkai] Abstract: In the platform age, copyright protected contents are primarily disseminated over the internet. This model poses various challenges to the copyright regime that was mainly designed in and for the analogue age. One of these challenges is related to the fair balance between the interests of rightholders and other members of the society. Copyright norms try to guarantee this balance by granting a high level of protection for rightholders and preserving some flexibility for end-users. The present article focuses on whether platforms’ end-user license agreements contribute to the preservation of that balance, and how they allow for or diminish the exercise of user flexibilities.

Overpatented, Overpriced: Tackling the Root of the Drug Pricing Crisis

[Initiative for Medicines, Access and Knowledge (I-MAK)] The patent system is not working as intended and the public is paying the price. Astronomical prescription drug costs are straining the healthcare system and the budgets of American families and employers. Prescription drug spending has increased 60% in the last decade to over $400 billion today. The status quo is unsustainable.