On Wednesday 22nd May and Friday 24th May 2024, CIPPM researchers, Dinusha Mendis, Benjamin White and Dukki Hong were invited to present their research on copyright and open norms in seven jurisdictions at the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) and European Commission respectively.

The project funded by Knowledge Rights 21 explores the adoption, use and impact of open norms, as introduced in seven jurisdictions, namely Canada, Israel, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Japan and South Korea, whilst the benefits of the USA’s long-standing fair use doctrine have also been captured.

Applying various criteria for measuring success and through an analysis of the law as well as engagement with National Experts of the relevant countries, the authors demonstrate that introducing an open norm has several benefits. These include, for example, allowing a country’s creative, educational and research sectors to progress effectively, and benefit from developments in technology in a timely manner.

Whilst the report demonstrates challenges in introducing open norms and the lessons which can be learned, considering all the benefits it presents, the authors recommend the adoption of open norms in other countries around the world, including in European countries. As discussed in detail in this report, there is much to gain and little to lose by adopting open norms in copyright law. Rather than waiting for long periods for a piece of legislation to be introduced that addresses a single issue, open norms present the opportunity for countries to progress their education, research, creative and technological sectors in a timely fashion.