|
Over the past 20 years, interest in the
input of theoretical economics to effective copyright management has been
rapidly increasing. Economic theory, both from a positive and a normative
viewpoint, has proved to be a powerful tool that provides insights that
can, and should, be used to further our understanding on all issues
related to copyright management, copyright law, and the causes and
effects of copyright infringement. This has become especially true in the
current environment provided by the internet and digital copy
technologies, that together have seriously challenged the efficiency and
effectiveness of the way in which copyright has been traditionally
managed.
The Society for Economic Research on
Copyright Issues (SERCI) was established during the year 2001, with the
principal objective of providing a solid academic platform from which
scientific debate concerning copyright, dealt with from an economic
theory perspective, can be launched and defended. SERCI aims to actively
promote and internationally distribute quality academic research relating
economic theory to all aspects of copyright and intellectual property of
a cultural nature. SERCI is a fully independent, international non-profit
organisation that promotes all academic
activities related to the study of the economic dimension of the general
concept of copyright, whatever may be the final results of such research
activity, with the only underlying condition being that the research is
formally correct, and is of interest to the understanding of how
copyright can be properly and efficiently managed. In short, SERCI is
interested in promoting and distributing only that research which is of
the highest possible scientific quality
In July 2002, two of the Society's
officers (Richard Watt and Ruth Towse) were invited by the World
Intellectual Property Organisation to
participate as invited experts at a high level scientific meeting held in
Helsinki (Finland) with the objective of evaluating the economic
importance of copyright in national economies.
The past president of SERCI (the
founding president) is Eduardo Bautista, currently President of the
Executive Board of the Spanish Author's Society (SGAE) and also of the
International Confederation of Author's Societies (CISAC).
Current
and Future Activities
The activities of SERCI include, but
are not restricted to:
·
The maintenance of a web site designed to be
a forum of discussion on economic theory and copyright. The general
underlying objective of the web site is to provide a useful tool for all
individuals and institutions interested in furthering their understanding
of efficient copyright management.
·
Collection and maintenance of a working paper
archive.
·
Organisation of an annual
congress of academics from all over the world, where their research is
presented and discussed.
·
Distribution of the output of the congress as
widely as possible.
At the SERCI annual congress (SERCIAC),
the research of distinguished academics from all over the world, some
with a more strictly economics point of view and others with a more legal
perspective, is presented and discussed. At each congress, a specific
researcher, with an extremely high international profile and prestige, is
invited to give the initial lecture.
Membership
There are two types of member of SERCI.
On one hand, individual members who are the academics that support the
Society's activities by presenting papers, and generally attending and
actively participating in the annual congress. Individual membership is
retained for two years, and is renewable by simply fulfilling the
requisite of attending the congress. Individual members have one vote at
the annual general meeting of the Society, which is held each year at the
congress. On the other hand, financial members are those institutions and
individuals who contribute financially to the Society.
Presidents
01/01/2002 to 04/06/2002 Eduardo Bautista
04/06/2002 to 09/07/2004 Richard Watt
09/07/2004 to present Ruth Towse
Minutes
of the SERCI annual Meetings
 Download document
Financial
Situation of SERCI
Download document
CONTACT
Apartado de Correos 1100
07080 Palma de Mallorca
SPAIN
|
