Ralph Nader's Consumer Project on Technology
Originally started by Ralph Nader and associates, the Knowledge Ecology International aims to search for and implement the better use of information and the management of informational resources. The KEI engages in public service by trying to influence policies through the publication of research findings and consulting with large firms, organizations and companies to utilize the information resources of each in a more efficient and logical manner. The organization also has forums set up to allow for the open and free debate of new ideas and research results.
When originally founded in 1995 by Ralph Nader the project was called the Consumer Project on Technology and more specifically how it affects intellectual property, policy making, public health, cyberlaw, e-commerce, and competition policies pertaining to companies and their technological developments. The organization has fought the Microsoft and ICANN monopolies as well as software patents and some business patents. The organization has recently turned its efforts to be a social force and not a commercial one by partnering with the World Intellectual Property Organization to become more of a UN styled organization.
Fair trade and the freedom of information for the betterment of humankind is the sole goal of KEI. The main concern or area of interest is that of regulating communications and information availability and accessibility. One of the current manifestations is in the transparency of trade agreements between countries which President Obama has agreed to speak with them and other NGOs. The idea is that government and corporations need to be forthright with all of the details of every trade agreement. This enables the public to approve or disapprove of the agreements and voice their opinion. In the eyes of KEI transparency of policies in any setting is the key to better information and an improved society and economy.
The concern over intellectual property rights is also of major concern to the organization. Many laws are in place that do not effectively protect the owner of intellectual property and the language used to convey these rights to the intellectual property is vague at best. Again the idea of transparency comes into play. Most people cannot begin to understand the legal and legislative jargon used on policy and law making which creates a larger gap in the understanding of policies and their ramifications. With better information and more clearly written rules and policies the intellectual property rights will make sense to more people and allow for more information to be freely and readily available to the general public.
Consumers face a world of fast advancement and little understanding of all the involved technologies. In an effort to make new technologies more understandable KEI takes on a consumer advocacy role in addition to influencing policy. Consumers need to have data and information in order to make the best and most well informed decisions on a variety of topics. Most recently KEI has begun research and studies in the medical field and its practices on sharing treatments and new breakthrough technologies. At the present time virtually all research and development in the medical field is kept as a trade secret and then used for commercial gain. KEI and other NGOs are working to get policies and laws passed that would encourage the free sharing of ideas instead of the pursuit of commercial and economic gain.
KEI works to provide the use and retrieval of information in the best ways possible. By conducting research and studying the policies that currently exist they try to influence law makers and legislators to make information more accessible and understandable to every person and citizen.
