Protecting Rights Online

Abstract

The access to knowledge or "A2K" movement, a set of alliances demanding more equitable distribution of and greater access to knowledge for the world's populace, has gained enormous traction in recent years. Collaboration between A2K advocates and the human rights movement, another global movement concerned with distribution of and access to materials necessary to protect human health and welfare, has had a significant impact in areas such as the fight for access to medicines. Despite their shared goals, however, the A2K and human rights movements have historically focused on different issues with respect to online content. Human rights advocates have focused on abuses of state authority such as censorship, while those in the A2K movement have emphasized the risks of limits on state authority as a result of strengthened intellectual property protection worldwide.