The Second Global Congress on Intellectual Property and the Public Interest, held between December 15th-18th, 2012, brought 250 researchers and activists from 40 countries to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The event promoted the development of a "positive agenda" for public-interest intellectual property policy. Major themes included the expanded use of 'open access' materials in education, the defense of due process in copyright enforcement, and the expansion of limitations and exceptions to allow for greater developing-country flexibility in IP law to meet domestic development needs.
The conference was hosted by the Center for Technology and Society at the Getulio Vargas Foundation in Rio de Janeiro. Co-sponsors included The American Assembly, American University in Washington, DC, Open A.I.R., The Centre for Internet and Society in Bangalore, and The International Centre for Trade and Sustainble Development in Geneva.
