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'''Lawrence Liang''' is a |
'''Lawrence Liang''' is a professor of law at [[Ambedkar University Delhi|Ambedkar University Delhi.]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.aud.ac.in/faculty/permanent-faculty/detail/192|title=AUD Website - People - Faculty|website=www.aud.ac.in|language=en|access-date=2018-03-31}}</ref> He is known for his legal campaigns on issues of public concern. He is a co founder of the [[Alternative Law Forum]], and by 2006 had emerged as a spokesperson against the politics of "intellectual property". In 2017, he received the Infosys Prize for Social Sciences in recognition of his creative scholarship on law and society.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.infosys-science-foundation.com/prize/laureates/2017/lawrence-liang.asp|title=Infosys Prize - Laureates 2017 - Prof. Lawrence Liang|website=www.infosys-science-foundation.com|language=en|access-date=2017-12-01}}</ref> |
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Liang's key areas of interest are law, popular culture and piracy. He has been working closely with [[The Sarai Programme at CSDS|Sarai]], New Delhi on a joint research project Intellectual Property and the Knowledge/Culture Commons. Liang is a "keen follower of the [[free software movement|open source movement]] in software", Lawrence Liang has been working on ways of translating the open source ideas into the cultural domain.<ref name="bio">{{cite web |url=http://www.altlawforum.org/node/2 |title=Our Team |date= |publisher=Alternative Law Forum |accessdate=14 December 2012 }}</ref> Segments of an interview with Liang commenting extensively on copyright and culture are featured in [[Steal This Film]] (Two). |
Liang's key areas of interest are law, popular culture and piracy. He has been working closely with [[The Sarai Programme at CSDS|Sarai]], New Delhi on a joint research project Intellectual Property and the Knowledge/Culture Commons. Liang is a "keen follower of the [[free software movement|open source movement]] in software", Lawrence Liang has been working on ways of translating the open source ideas into the cultural domain.<ref name="bio">{{cite web |url=http://www.altlawforum.org/node/2 |title=Our Team |date= |publisher=Alternative Law Forum |accessdate=14 December 2012 }}</ref> Segments of an interview with Liang commenting extensively on copyright and culture are featured in [[Steal This Film]] (Two). |
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==Background== |
==Background== |
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Liang is a graduate from the [[National Law School of India University]], and pursued a master's degree in [[Warwick]], England on a [[Chevening Scholarship]].<ref name="bio"/> He was a visiting scholar at the [[University of Michigan School of Information]] and the Center for South Asian Studies as part of the Hughes Fellowship in 2014 and [http://southasia.macmillan.yale.edu/people/lawrence-liang Rice Visiting Scholar] at Yale University in 2016-17. He is currently Professor of Law at School of Law, Governance and Citizenship, [[Ambedkar University Delhi]], India |
Liang is a graduate from the [[National Law School of India University]], and pursued a master's degree in [[Warwick]], England on a [[Chevening Scholarship]].<ref name="bio"/> He was a visiting scholar at the [[University of Michigan School of Information]] and the Center for South Asian Studies as part of the Hughes Fellowship in 2014 and [http://southasia.macmillan.yale.edu/people/lawrence-liang Rice Visiting Scholar] at Yale University in 2016-17. He is currently Professor of Law at School of Law, Governance and Citizenship, [[Ambedkar University Delhi]], India |
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==Finding of sexual harassment== |
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In February 2018, an inquiry committee at [[Ambedkar University Delhi]], where Liang holds a faculty position, found Liang guilty of sexually harassing a female doctoral student on multiple occasions.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.firstpost.com/india/ambedkar-university-probe-finds-lawrence-liang-guilty-of-sexual-harassment-complainant-dissatisfied-4383195.html|title=Ambedkar University probe finds Lawrence Liang guilty of sexual harassment; complainant dissatisfied - Firstpost|website=www.firstpost.com|access-date=2018-03-30}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/aud-professor-found-guilty-of-sexual-harassment/article22988210.ece|title=AUD Professor found guilty of sexual harassment|last=Bhanj|first=Jaideep Deo|date=2018-03-09|work=The Hindu|access-date=2018-03-30|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.legallyindia.com/lawschools/amebdkar-u-committee-finds-alf-founder-nls-grad-lawrence-liang-sexually-harassed-phd-student-20180308-9147|title=Amebdkar U committee finds ALF founder, NLS grad Lawrence Liang sexually harassed PhD student [UPDATE: Liang issues statement]|last=Ganz|first=Kian|website=www.legallyindia.com|language=en-gb|access-date=2018-03-30}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://scroll.in/article/871321/why-ambedkar-university-held-law-professor-lawrence-liang-guilty-of-sexual-harassment|title=Why Ambedkar University held law professor Lawrence Liang guilty of sexual harassment|last=Chowdhury|first=Aarefa Johari & Shreya Roy|work=Scroll.in|access-date=2018-03-30|language=en-US}}</ref> According to the report of the committee, the complainant claimed that Liang forcibly kissed her, despite her asking him to stop, on more than one occasion. It was also alleged that Liang had sexually harassed interns at the Alternative Law Forum in the past.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.atimes.com/article/indian-university-finds-top-academic-guilty-sexual-harassment/|title=Indian university finds top academic guilty of sexual harassment|access-date=2018-03-30|language=en-US}}</ref> In his defence, Liang claimed that his kisses “lasted for the briefest moment”. The committee disagreed with Liang and held that his kisses did indeed constitute sexual harassment. The committee directed Liang to step down from his position as the Dean of the University's School of Law, Governance and Citizenship. The committee also warned Liang that he would face serious action if such complaints were received again.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.atimes.com/article/indian-university-finds-top-academic-guilty-sexual-harassment/|title=Indian university finds top academic guilty of sexual harassment|access-date=2018-03-30|language=en-US}}</ref> However, the committee did not recommend that Liang be suspended or terminated, and Liang continues to be a faculty member at the University. In response, the complainant expressed strong unhappiness at the lack of tougher punishment against Liang, alleging that Liang had tried to influence the probe.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/lawrence-liang-found-guilty-sexual-harassment-survivor-says-punishment-inadequate-77670|title=Ambedkar Uni academic guilty of sexual harassment, survivor unhappy with 'punishment'|date=2018-03-08|work=The News Minute|access-date=2018-03-30}}</ref> |
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The incident involving Liang set off a fierce debate in India on sexual harassment. [[Nivedita Menon]], a well-known left-wing feminist academician and close associate of Liang, wrote a blogpost sympathetic to Liang. Menon emphasised the importance of due process and condemned “characteristically self-righteous and ill informed twitterati”. A number of commentators criticised Menon's response as problematic and hypocritical.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.atimes.com/article/indias-culture-silence-around-sexual-harassment-campus/|title=India’s culture of silence around sexual harassment on campus|access-date=2018-03-30|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://feminisminindia.com/2018/03/13/finger-tip-activism-response-menon/|title=A Practitioner Of Finger-Tip Activism Responds To Nivedita Menon|date=2018-03-13|work=Feminism in India|access-date=2018-03-30|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dailyo.in/variety/sexual-harassment-nivedita-menon-feminism-women-raya-sarkar-indian-women/story/1/22865.html|title=If older feminists will not listen to the youth, who will?|website=www.dailyo.in|access-date=2018-03-30}}</ref> Nevertheless, a statement was issued by Kafila Collective, a blog managed by Menon, Liang and other academicians, stating that Liang “will no longer be writing on Kafila.” |
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==See also== |
==See also== |
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* [[Anti-copyright]] |
* [[Anti-copyright]] |
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* [[Steal This Film]] |
* [[Steal This Film]] |
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* [[Workplace bullying in academia|Sexual harassment and workplace bullying in academia]] |
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==References== |
==References== |
Revision as of 08:02, 31 March 2018
Lawrence Liang | |
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Lawrence Liang is a professor of law at Ambedkar University Delhi.[1] He is known for his legal campaigns on issues of public concern. He is a co founder of the Alternative Law Forum, and by 2006 had emerged as a spokesperson against the politics of "intellectual property". In 2017, he received the Infosys Prize for Social Sciences in recognition of his creative scholarship on law and society.[2]
Liang's key areas of interest are law, popular culture and piracy. He has been working closely with Sarai, New Delhi on a joint research project Intellectual Property and the Knowledge/Culture Commons. Liang is a "keen follower of the open source movement in software", Lawrence Liang has been working on ways of translating the open source ideas into the cultural domain.[3] Segments of an interview with Liang commenting extensively on copyright and culture are featured in Steal This Film (Two).
Liang is author of "Sex, laws and Videotape: The Public is watching" and "Guide to open content licenses," published by the Piet Zwart Institute in 2004.[4]
Work
Alternative Law Forum
In an interview, Liang described the Alternative Law Forum thus: "(The) Alternative Law Forum provides legal support for people marginalized on the basis of class, race, caste, gender, disability or sexuality. We provide services for people who often have no access to them. Our main work is to conduct research on issues of globalization, urban studies, gender, as well as intellectual property and public domain."[5]
The Alternative Law Forum, he says, also does some policy work, "for example with regard to an amendment to the (Indian) copyright act that basically tries to follow the DMCA (US Digital Millennium Copyright Act) model."
It has critiqued and influenced the debate on changes in the Indian Copyright Act. " We were trying to oppose that, showing how such a law would be harmful for creative innovation. Right now we are also supporting a campaign in pharmaceutical policies. But our focus is not so much on policy advocacy, because you cannot really defend the grey economy and be on policy bodies. With regard to government, we try to push for the open source model, arguing that public money should go into public intellectual property," Liang said in the December 2004 interview to World-Information.org.[5]
Law, technology, culture, copyright
Another profile describes Lawrence Liang as someone whose "key areas of interest are law, technology and culture [and] the politics of copyright". Liang has been working with Sarai, New Delhi on a joint research project Intellectual Property and the Knowledge/Culture Commons.[6]
Open source ideas into the cultural domain
The profile also adds: "Lawrence (Liang) has been working on ways of translating the open source ideas into the cultural domain. He has written a number of articles on copyright, free software and media practices, and in collaboration with Sarai also wrote the license for OPUS, an online collaborative platform for artists and media practitioners. In 2004 he was a Research Fellow at Media Design Research, Piet Zwart Institute, Rotterdam."[6]
In an article titled "Shoot, Share and Create", Liang argues strongly that it makes sense for "documentary and alternative filmmakers in India (to) start licensing their works under an open content license".[7]
The article details Liang's early interest in documentary films. His reasons for suggesting a rethink of licensing policies among alternative and documentary film-makers in India include:
- Distribution, a major headache now: One of the biggest problems faced by documentary filmmakers in India has been the question of circulation and distribution. This is an issue which has been discussed in a number of meetings as well as online.[8]
- If the work were available freely (again note this does not mean that you cannot charge for the documentary, but means that a person who has bought a copy may make a copy and distribute it to others), there would be far greater circulation of documentaries amongst other filmmakers, students, activists, scholars and general public.
- Filmmakers don't live off royalty: More important is the fact that most documentary filmmakers do not live off royalty in any case. Their films are either commissioned or they earn some money from various prizes, invitations and the like.
- Another issue, of course, is to recognise the hundreds and thousands of influences and inspirations that have gone into our own films. We need to work beyond the assumed myths of copyright law, and develop alternative practices that recognise the multiplicity that goes into the making of a film.
Published work
Liang is the author of A Guide To Open Content Licences. This is described as a guide to how we can "share culture in a world where everything has a license". This short book(let)'s introduction says: "Scientists, writers, designers, artists, musicians and others are increasingly interested in making their work available in 'the public domain'. This booklet is an overview of the ways in which this has been done and a guide to the growing area of Open Content Licenses through which people design and safeguard access to their work."[4]
Liang also contributes to the blog kafila.org [9] and is a known expert on cinema studies, with several published articles on film.[10][11]
He contributed the essay "Free as in Soul: The Anti-image Politics of Copyright" to the Freesouls book project.[12]
Advisor/mentor
Liang was also group advisor/mentor of the 2006–07 International Policy Fellowship of the Open Society Institute.[13]
Background
Liang is a graduate from the National Law School of India University, and pursued a master's degree in Warwick, England on a Chevening Scholarship.[3] He was a visiting scholar at the University of Michigan School of Information and the Center for South Asian Studies as part of the Hughes Fellowship in 2014 and Rice Visiting Scholar at Yale University in 2016-17. He is currently Professor of Law at School of Law, Governance and Citizenship, Ambedkar University Delhi, India
Finding of sexual harassment
In February 2018, an inquiry committee at Ambedkar University Delhi, where Liang holds a faculty position, found Liang guilty of sexually harassing a female doctoral student on multiple occasions.[14][15][16][17] According to the report of the committee, the complainant claimed that Liang forcibly kissed her, despite her asking him to stop, on more than one occasion. It was also alleged that Liang had sexually harassed interns at the Alternative Law Forum in the past.[18] In his defence, Liang claimed that his kisses “lasted for the briefest moment”. The committee disagreed with Liang and held that his kisses did indeed constitute sexual harassment. The committee directed Liang to step down from his position as the Dean of the University's School of Law, Governance and Citizenship. The committee also warned Liang that he would face serious action if such complaints were received again.[19] However, the committee did not recommend that Liang be suspended or terminated, and Liang continues to be a faculty member at the University. In response, the complainant expressed strong unhappiness at the lack of tougher punishment against Liang, alleging that Liang had tried to influence the probe.[20]
The incident involving Liang set off a fierce debate in India on sexual harassment. Nivedita Menon, a well-known left-wing feminist academician and close associate of Liang, wrote a blogpost sympathetic to Liang. Menon emphasised the importance of due process and condemned “characteristically self-righteous and ill informed twitterati”. A number of commentators criticised Menon's response as problematic and hypocritical.[21][22][23] Nevertheless, a statement was issued by Kafila Collective, a blog managed by Menon, Liang and other academicians, stating that Liang “will no longer be writing on Kafila.”
See also
References
- ^ "AUD Website - People - Faculty". www.aud.ac.in. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
- ^ "Infosys Prize - Laureates 2017 - Prof. Lawrence Liang". www.infosys-science-foundation.com. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
- ^ a b "Our Team". Alternative Law Forum. Retrieved 14 December 2012.
- ^ a b "Willem de Kooning Academie | pzwart.nl". Pzwart.wdka.hro.nl. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
- ^ a b https://web.archive.org/web/20061014204433/http://world-information.org/wio/readme/992003309/1102877551. Archived from the original on 14 October 2006. Retrieved 30 August 2006.
{{cite web}}
: Missing or empty|title=
(help); Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ a b "Welcome to the Piet Zwart Institute". Piet Zwart Institute. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
- ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20120426154545/http://www.altlawforum.org/intellectual-property/publications/articles-on-copyright-and-culture/shoot-share-and-create. Archived from the original on 26 April 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
{{cite web}}
: Missing or empty|title=
(help); Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ "Yahoo Groups". Groups.yahoo.com. Retrieved 13 November 2013.
- ^ "Posts by Lawrence Liang". Kafila. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
- ^ Liang, Lawrence (1 September 2005). "Cinematic citizenship and the illegal city". Inter-Asia Cultural Studies. 6 (3): 366–385. doi:10.1080/14649370500169995. ISSN 1464-9373.
- ^ "Lawrence Liang". IMDb. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
- ^ Lawrence Liang (22 February 1999). "Free as in Soul: The Anti-image Politics of Copyright". Freesouls.cc. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
- ^ Henok Mikre. "Dick Kawooya – Advisor". Policy.hu. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
- ^ "Ambedkar University probe finds Lawrence Liang guilty of sexual harassment; complainant dissatisfied - Firstpost". www.firstpost.com. Retrieved 30 March 2018.
- ^ Bhanj, Jaideep Deo (9 March 2018). "AUD Professor found guilty of sexual harassment". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 30 March 2018.
- ^ Ganz, Kian. "Amebdkar U committee finds ALF founder, NLS grad Lawrence Liang sexually harassed PhD student [UPDATE: Liang issues statement]". www.legallyindia.com. Retrieved 30 March 2018.
- ^ Chowdhury, Aarefa Johari & Shreya Roy. "Why Ambedkar University held law professor Lawrence Liang guilty of sexual harassment". Scroll.in. Retrieved 30 March 2018.
- ^ "Indian university finds top academic guilty of sexual harassment". Retrieved 30 March 2018.
- ^ "Indian university finds top academic guilty of sexual harassment". Retrieved 30 March 2018.
- ^ "Ambedkar Uni academic guilty of sexual harassment, survivor unhappy with 'punishment'". The News Minute. 8 March 2018. Retrieved 30 March 2018.
- ^ "India's culture of silence around sexual harassment on campus". Retrieved 30 March 2018.
- ^ "A Practitioner Of Finger-Tip Activism Responds To Nivedita Menon". Feminism in India. 13 March 2018. Retrieved 30 March 2018.
- ^ "If older feminists will not listen to the youth, who will?". www.dailyo.in. Retrieved 30 March 2018.
External links
- Alternative Law Forum website
- Guide to Open Content Licences
- Copyright/Copyleft: Myths About Copyright by Lawrence Liang, et al.
- Shoot, share and create: Looking beyond copyright makes sense in film by Lawrence Liang
- Public Domain in India. An interview with Lawrence Liang
- The Other Information City by Lawrence Liang
- The Black and White (and Grey) of Copyright by Lawrence Liang
- Free as in Soul by Lawrence Liang
- Assorted works by Lawrence Liang