Consumers International (CI), the world federation of consumer groups founded in 1960, has released the second edition of its handbook, Access to Knowledge: A Guide for Everyone. Its aim is to provide a concise and nonspecialist introduction to IP and A2K issues, and selected related issues of communications rights and access to information and communication technologies (ICTs). Its intended readership includes consumer groups and NGOs (non-governmental organisations) who wish to become more knowledgeable in this area, individual academics and activists who could use a simple reference guide to the many related issues of A2K, and consumers at large who are affected by unfair IP laws and practices.

The first edition of this book was distributed with a DVD copy of Consumers International’s film When Copyright Goes Bad, and also included a range of freely-licensed books, videos, software, photos and music recordings on DVD ROM. This has been removed for the second edition, but the film remains available for viewing or download from Consumers International’s Web site at http://A2Knetwork.org/film. Some minor corrections to the text have also been made in this edition.

It can be downloaded in pdf format in English, Spanish and French at http://a2knetwork.org/announcing-access-knowledge-guide-everyone.

(Adapted from Preface.)