In the long history of monopolies, business method patents area novel and recent edition. In the Digital Age, where time ismoney and speed is everything, innovative methods for undertakingbusiness are as important to a business as the products or servicesit provides to its clients. In recent years several reviews,conducted in both Australia and internationally,4 have questionedthe appropriateness of patenting business methods. This paperreviews the availability of business method patents in Australiain light of the 2006 decision of the Full Court of the FederalCourt in Grant v Commissioner of Patents,5 which confirmed theneed in Australia for a useful product to issuefrom the working of a method (business or otherwise) in orderfor the method to be patentable. This paper will review argumentsboth criticising and defending business method patents and considerwhether business methods warrant special treatment. 相似文献
Despite the notable successes of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) activism in the region, individual European countries have varied considerably in the extent and speed with which they have adopted legislation to recognise the rights of their LGBTI citizens. Scholars have often turned to modernisation theory to explain these variable outcomes and argue that high levels of national wealth are an important factor in the success of LGBTI movements. Although the correlation between modernity, economic development and tolerance of LGBTI lifestyles is often treated as a truism in the literature, scholars have paid less attention to the precise mechanisms by which the complex processes associated with modernisation facilitate policy change. Drawing on the classic works of both modernisation theory and gay and lesbian history, we examine a less explored route by which modernisation leads to the expansion of LGBTI rights. Specifically, we posit that urbanisation facilitates the adoption of rights policies by strengthening LGBTI movements and enhancing their political effectiveness. To test this proposition, we use event history analysis and an original dataset that contains measures for institutional, cultural, economic and movement variables, as well as measures of urbanisation in 44 European countries between 1980 and 2015. Our findings support the contention that urbanisation has a strong effect on the formation of LGBTI movement organisations as well as the speed with which European states adopt both same-sex union and anti-discrimination legislation. The relationship between urbanisation and rights expansion persists even after controlling for a country's level of wealth, religious adherence and the influence of European institutions and norms. 相似文献
AbstractPhilanthropic foundations have bloomed since the 1990s, contributing to the expansion of third sectors worldwide. This research aims to contribute to the comparative analysis of the policy conditions that shape the development – size and structure – of foundation fields across countries. A framework for comparative policy analysis encompassing key dimensions of policy support – policy milestones, levers, and alternatives – is proposed and applied to five southwestern European countries. Results demonstrate that although Spain, France, Italy, Belgium, and Portugal have been traditionally clustered under the same corporatist foundation model, their foundation fields vary widely in terms of size, structure and institutional embeddedness. 相似文献
The progress in endeavours to achieve the commitments of the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness has been slow. This paper explains the challenges faced by the aid effectiveness agenda and discusses why and how it needs to be revisited. In order to elucidate the differences in donors' approaches to aid effectiveness, a comparison is made between the UK and Japan, which leads to two suggestions. The main messages are that it is important to be inclusive of different donors, and to link the policy dialogue with reality on the ground.
Remanier l'ordre de jour de la Déclaration de Paris – une orientation inclusive et réaliste pour l'efficacité de l'aide
Le progrès des initiatives visant à atteindre les engagements de la Déclaration de Paris sur l'efficacité de l'aide a été lent. Ce document explique les défis auxquels se heurte l'ordre du jour de l'efficacité de l'aide et traite des raisons et des manières de le remanier. Afin de clarifier les différences d'approche de la part des bailleurs de fonds en matière d'efficacité de l'aide, une comparaison est faite entre le Royaume-Uni et le Japon qui aboutit à deux suggestions. Les principaux messages sont qu'il est important d'inclure différents bailleurs de fonds et de relier le dialogue au niveau des politiques générales avec la réalité sur le terrain.
Reexaminando a Agenda da Declaração de Paris – uma Orientação Inclusiva e Realista para a Efetividade da Ajuda
O avanço dos esforços para se chegar nos compromissos da Declaração de Paris sobre a Efetividade da Ajuda tem sido lento. Este artigo explica os desafios enfrentados pela agenda da efetividade da ajuda e discute por que e como isto precisa ser reexaminado. Para elucidar as diferenças nas abordagens dos doadores em relação é efetividade da ajuda, uma comparação é feita entre o Reino Unido e Japão, que leva a duas sugestões. As principais mensagens são que é importante ser inclusivo para atrair diferentes doadores e fazer a ligação entre o di´logo da polÚtica e a realidade na base.
Analizando de nuevo la Agenda de la Declaración de París – Una orientación incluyente y realista para la eficacia de la ayuda
Los avances en el cumplimiento de los compromisos asumidos en la Declaración de París sobre la Eficacia de la Ayuda han sido lentos. Este ensayo expone los retos que surgen de los compromisos relacionados con la eficacia de la ayuda y porqué y cómo deben replantearse. A fin de aclarar las diferencias que existen entre los donantes sobre la eficacia de la ayuda, el ensayo compara los casos de Reino Unido y Japón dando pie a dos sugerencias. Éstas tienen que ver con la importancia de incluir a distintos donantes y de vincular los diálogos sobre políticas con la realidad existente. 相似文献
The university holds a privileged place as the site of knowledge production in social development. Simultaneously, traditions of pedagogy drawing from the liberal arts have evolved within Northern/Western post-secondary educational systems which claim to create citizens through developing the skills of freedom; this claim was central to interventions in post-Soviet university reform projects. The author's university development and reform experiences in the former Soviet Union show that a depoliticised liberal arts pedagogy in fact reinforced authoritarian practices, and the promise of a liberal arts pedagogy as an emancipatory project remains an ongoing global task of critical knowledge practices.
Universités post-soviétiques en tant que développement dans la pratique : expériences locales et leçons mondiales
L' université occupe une place privilégiée comme site de production de connaissances dans le développement social. Dans le même temps, des traditions pédagogiques s'inspirant des arts libéraux ont évolué dans le cadre des systèmes d'éducation post-secondaires du Nord et de l'Occident qui affirment créer des citoyens en développant les compétences de la liberté ; cette affirmation a été centrale dans les interventions dans les projets de réforme universitaire post-soviétiques. Les expériences de l'auteur du développement et de la réforme des universités dans l'ancienne Union soviétique montrent qu'une pédagogie dépolitisée des arts libéraux a en fait renforcé les pratiques autoritaires, et la promesse d'une pédagogie d'arts libéraux comme projet émancipatoire reste une tâche mondiale en cours constituée de pratiques critiques d'acquisition de connaissances.
Universidades na era pós-soviética enquanto desenvolvimento na prática: experiência local e lições globais
A universidade ocupa um lugar privilegiado como lugar de produção de conhecimento na área de desenvolvimento social. Simultaneamente, tradições de pedagogia extraídas das artes liberais têm evoluído dentro dos sistemas educacionais pós-ensino médio no hemisfério norte / ocidental, que afirmam criar cidadãos através do desenvolvimento de qualificações para liberdade; esta afirmação foi central para as intervenções nos projetos de reforma da universidade na era pós-soviética. As experiências da autora sobre desenvolvimento e reforma da universidade na antiga União Soviética mostram que uma pedagogia de artes liberais despolitizada, na verdade, reforçaram práticas autoritárias, e a promessa de uma pedagogia de artes liberais enquanto projeto emancipatório permanece uma tarefa global contínua de práticas importantes de conhecimento.
Las universidades postsoviéticas para el desarrollo en la práctica: experiencias locales y mundiales
La universidad desempeña un importante papel en la producción de conocimientos para el desarrollo social. Simultáneamente, se afirma que la pedagogía utilizada en las humanidades de los sistemas escolares universitarios del Norte o de Occidente fomenta la ciudadanía porque desarrolla herramientas dirigidas a la libertad; los proyectos de reforma de la universidad postsoviética se basaron en esta idea. Las experiencias de la autora en el desarrollo y la reforma universitaria de la antigua Unión Soviética muestran que la pedagogía despolitizada en las humanidades más bien fortaleció prácticas autoritarias; la esperanza de contar con una pedagogía emancipadora en las humanidades continúa construyéndose a nivel mundial mediante el ejercicio de prácticas de conocimiento crítico. 相似文献
This article examines the extent to which the World Bank-funded Village Investment Project in Kyrgyzstan promoted empowered participation of citizens in co-financing arrangements. It is based on in-depth qualitative interviews and focus-group sessions in 16 rural communities. The study found that the poor and marginalised did not always have the ability to engage in the processes of consensus building, influencing local decision making, and exercising free choice with regard to the contribution requirement. Participatory projects must carefully design arrangements and operational procedures for the co-financing component of the project, in order to support citizen empowerment and democratic inclusion. 相似文献