The First Global Congress on Intellectual Property and the Public Interest was convened in 2011 to define a positive agenda for policy reform, build a global network of scholars and advocates to promote the agenda and provide opportunities for the sharing of research and strategies. The nearly 200 inaugural participants from over 30 countries and 6 continents deliberated over three days through in-person meetings and web-based collaboration to produce the Washington Declaration on Intellectual Property and the Public Interest — an action agenda for promoting the public interest in intellectual property and information law reform around the world.

Sixteen months later, we come together to measure our progress and expand the positive agenda. To this end, we invite applications to attend the Congress and contribute to its deliberations identifying forums where policy is being developed, proposing policies or actions that promote public interest goals and principles, and identifying and planning to respond to research and analysis needs.

The theme for this year’s Congress will be “Setting the positive agenda in motion,” and will have a special focus on developments and opportunities in the so-called “BRICS” group of emerging economies. A key output for this year’s Congress will be a public Research and Action Agenda, recording research and analysis needs for promoting a positive agenda in intellectual property policy, and identifying commitments to work toward filling the gaps. The Congress will be held on December 15–17, 2012, at FGV Law School, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.  Keynote addresses and several sessions will be live webcast on demand.  For more information, visit http://infojustice.org/public-events/globalcongress2012