Request for proposals: Giving voice to authors

For many authors, the main motivation for writing is to be read. This is a goal that the Knowledge Rights 21 Programme shares! Our latest request for proposals looks to support efforts to help ensure that this need is heard in policy discussions around copyright law and policy.

Too often, debates around copyright law and policy can seem like a struggle between creators and users, with decisions around access portrayed as a zero-sum game.

However, this approach only makes sense if we see the exclusive goal of copyright systems as being to maximise short-term revenues. It falls down as soon as we consider the wider public interest (for example in access to education, research and culture), or even the long-term need to generate new creativity, support access to the breadth of historical outputs and sustain markets for creative works.

Crucially, it also potentially clashes with the goal of many writers to ensure that their work inspires and informs others, rather than being limited to a short “in print” window determined by a commercial publisher, or access being limited solely to a select audience of those affiliated to particular institutions, or those able to pay themselves.

There are already good examples of initiatives to make this well-rounded and broad view of authorship better heard in policy debates, notably in the United States. We are now hoping to find ways to do the same in Europe, allowing the full range of interests and concerns to be incorporated into decision-making around copyright.

We welcome bids to support the achievement of this goal. The successful bidder will work with authors in Europe to build better understanding of the ways in which the operation of the copyright system helps or hinders them from achieving their own goals, as well as to develop ways to make this perspective heard in policy debates.

We expect written offers by 12pm CET on 17 March 2023. Please send your offer to: info@knowledgerights21.org.

We wish you every success in drawing up your offer.

Please download the full RFP here: Giving voice to authors.