access barriers

As the peak body of the global consumer movement, Consumers International believes that a knowledge society can be developed only when there is access to information on all fronts. Such a society is sustainable when access to knowledge is unhampered and inclusive, promoting co-operative forms of knowledge production as the basis for innovation and creativity.

CI believes that a knowledge society can be developed only when access to knowledge is unhampered and inclusive, and that the role of consumer organisations in making this possible is vital. To this end, we have developed a concise survey of consumers designed to pinpoint where the barriers that prevent consumers from accessing knowledge lie.

Current activities

• This Web site is part of the Global Consumer Dialog and Public Education Network on Access to Knowledge (A2Kⁱ) Issues funded by Ford Foundation. Through regional meetings and online dialogue, the Global Consumer Dialogue will identify problems consumers face in accessing and using copyrightⁱ protected materials, highlighting access barriers that require further investigation, identifying the legitimate needs of artists and content creators, and reframing enforcement debates to advance member groups’ economic, political, and cultural in

The biggest barriers that consumers face in accessing copyrightⁱ works are those created by copyright law. Even so, consumers around the world will choose original copyright works over pirated copies, provided that they are available at an affordable price.