Collective Organization Research Articles

Are Italian Rules on Copyright Collective Management in Line with EU Law?

Abstract Directive (EU) 2014/26 liberalised the market for collective management of copyright and related rights in Europe. In doing so it distinguished collecting societies into two categories. ‘Collective Management Organisations’ (CMOs) are entities that are either controlled (or owned) by rightholders or organised on a ‘non-profit’ basis. Conversely, ‘Independent Management Entities’ (IMEs) operate ‘for profit’ and are not controlled by rightholders. Prior to the adoption of this Directive, Italian law entrusted SIAE (Italian Society of Authors and Publishers) with a legal monopoly for the collective management of copyright. In 2017 a reform put an end to this system by opening the market to new entrants. However, according to the new rules, an entity can only manage copyright in Italy if it qualifies as a CMO. IMEs are therefore still not allowed to manage copyright in the Italian market. Such a restriction has raised a lively debate in Italy and its compatibility with EU law has recently been the object of a request for a preliminary ruling of the CJEU by the Tribunal of Rome. This work deals with the question of whether the choice of preventing IMEs from entering the Italian market is compatible with the principles of Directive 2014/26 and with general principles of EU law on the Internal Market.

PUBLIC FOOD POLICIES: THE CONTRIBUTION OF GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT TO THE PRODUCTIVE INCLUSION OF FAMILY FARMERS IN THE STATE OF TOCANTINS

The aim of this study was to analyze the contribution of Government Procurement to the productive inclusion of family farmers in the context of the state of Tocantins. With a quantitative and qualitative research approach, 80 mediators, who work with family farming audiences, were interviewed. The results point to the potential of Government Procurement for the productive inclusion of family farmers. The explanation is that they are linked to the positive effects of encouraging collective and formal organization of family farmers, increasing family income, boosting the local economy, valuing regional products, ensuring insertion in new markets and contributing to food security for direct and indirect beneficiaries. On the other hand, the bureaucracy and low organization of farmers are the main variables responsible for the difficulties in implementing public food policies.

Optimizing the rural comprehensive land consolidation in China based on the multiple roles of the rural collective organization

Land consolidation is considered an effective solution to revitalize rural areas internationally, and a variant, Rural Comprehensive Land Consolidation (RCLC), is widely practiced in China. RCLC is essentially a rural collective action which needs collaborative governance efforts from multiple stakeholders, who mainly are the local government, rural residents and social enterprises. Commonly, RCLC projects are led by the local government and rely on top-down approaches. In such a process, rural interests are often sacrificed due to the relatively weak status of the rural residents. Also, market forces are not motivated enough for low-cost performance of participation. These result in rural stakeholders' resistance and low future development vitality of the areas which implement RCLC. A more effective collaborative mechanism of RCLC is consequently called for. Under the guidance of collaborative governance theory, it is argued that the Rural Collective Organization (RCO) shows potential to provide ‘facilitative leadership’ to guide the collaboration in RCLC, by playing its multiple roles as a rural interest representative, a grass-roots manager and an independent legal entity in Chinese society. This research proposes a theoretical framework of the potentially optimized RCLC collaborative mechanism which facilitates the collaboration of stakeholders by setting the RCO as the collaborative leader and based on the flexibility of its multiple roles to strengthen bottom-up approaches and invoke multiple forces. A case study is constructed to demonstrate and support this potentially optimized approach. It is shown that the RCO, if flexibly playing its roles in different RCLC affairs, can provide balance between stakeholders and can catalyze stakeholders who may have a low incentive to participate, thus generating innovative outcomes. Based on above observations, we also refine a practice-oriented collaborative model, with prerequisites for its wider application being discussed.

Changes in Precarious Employment and Health in the United States Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study aimed to investigate the association between changes in employment precarity and changes in health amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted an online survey of 623 U.S. adults at-risk for cardiovascular disease, which queried respondents on employment, food insecurity, and blood pressure measurements in the Fall of 2020 and retrospectively, in February 2020. Respondents were also queried on perceived stress in the Fall of 2020. We created a multidimensional precarious employment score (PES) using 13 survey indicators, that operationalized the following dimensions of employment precarity (PES range: 0–13): material rewards, working time arrangements, employment stability, workers’ rights, collective organization, interpersonal relations, and training opportunities. Using adjusted linear regression models, we investigated the association between a change in the PES and 1) change in systolic blood pressure, 2) change in pulse pressure, 3) change in food insecurity, and 4) perceived stress. Models controlled for race/ethnicity, age, gender, and education. Results indicated that employment precarity was 13 % higher between February and Fall 2020, particularly among women and non-Hispanic Black respondents. A change in the PES was associated with a change in food insecurity (β: 0.02; 95 % CI:0.01, 0.03) and higher perceived stress (β: 0.39; 95 % CI:0.25, 0.53). The PES was not associated with a change in systolic blood pressure (β: −0.22; 95 % CI:-0.76, 0.32) nor in pulse pressure (β: −0.33; 95 % CI: −0.73, 0.07). Policy approaches to mitigate the growth in employment precarity, and in turn food insecurity and stress, warrant consideration to prevent widening of health inequities.

When politics are contagious: Covid-19 and political resistance inside an immigration detention center

During the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic, immigration detainees in the United States rose up to protests their forced confinement during a global pandemic, launching collective hunger strikes across separate facilities on a national scale. In this article, I utilize primary and secondary sources to examine the strike that occurred at the Otay Mesa Detention Center in San Diego in the Spring 2020. While acts of resistance are hardly a new phenomenon in immigration detention, the 2020 protests were unusually powerful because of their range and the pace at which they spread across facilities. Their power was a direct consequence of Covid-19, not only because the pandemic triggered the strikes, but because it introduced a common condition of vulnerability among the detained population, thus encouraging collective organization. The strikes and the pandemic showed a common form of expansion, which was acknowledged by the authorities themselves, as they adopted the same strategies of lockdown and quarantine to contain both phenomena. The history of this protest, along with those that erupted across carceral sites globally during this period, constitutes an important testimony to the political effects of the pandemic, and to the possibility of political resistance in detention.

Middle English Manuscripts and Their Legacies: A Volume in Honour of Ian Doyle

Middle English Manuscripts and Their Legacies: A Volume in Honour of Ian Doyle

Collective memory: Collaborative recall synchronizes what and how people remember.

Memory researchers and theorists have long advanced the idea that the manner in which information is retrieved is critical. The way retrieval unfolds provides critical insights into how memories are organized and accessed-an important aspect of memory missed by focusing only on quantity. Cognitive studies of memory in social contexts, deploying the collaborative memory paradigm, have also noted the importance of such retrieval organization. Such memory studies often focus on how relative to "groups" that never collaborated, former members of collaborating groups recall more of the same material (collective memory) and they do so in a more synchronized fashion (collective retrieval organization). In this review, we leverage the diverse methodological and quantitative toolkits that have traditionally targeted individual retrieval to highlight the ways in which this social memory research has examined collective memory and collective retrieval organization. To that end, we consider how the collaborative memory paradigm has integrated methods, such as free recall, that afford rich assessments of retrieval organization. Likewise, we consider the application of metrics that characterize organization patterns in different contexts. With this background in mind, we discuss the important theoretical and broader implications of research on collective memory and collective retrieval organization. This article is categorized under: Psychology > Memory.

Ready for a Fair Deal

Canadian academic libraries are unionized environments, requiring collective organization and action to address labour conditions and contract negotiations. The University of Manitoba Faculty Association (UMFA) has 1264 members, including 52 archivists and librarians, and in 2021 resolved the longest strike in association history. The newly ratified agreement contained major gains to advance pay equity within the union, and the strike itself maintained UMFA historic high levels of participation and member engagement, in part due to the significant contributions of librarians and archivists. In this paper, three librarians who held distinct positions of leadership within UMFA, particularly during its 2021 strike, examine the unique strengths and difficulties of librarians and archivists working within a broader faculty union to make change. Relying on core competencies of librarianship, such as collaboration, consultation, communication, and leadership, the authors collectively and successfully filled central roles in the strategic direction, organizational foundation, and on-the-ground mobilization of the strike effort. The historical context for the labour climate and organizing history at the University of Manitoba is examined and demonstrates that core competencies of librarians and archivists are valuable and imperative skills in faculty union organizing. Librarians and archivists can use this narrative to inform the development of their own activism within their unions and workplaces, and to examine how their own skills may help enhance and improve their working conditions.

Ready for a Fair Deal

Canadian academic libraries are unionized environments, requiring collective organization and action to address labour conditions and contract negotiations. The University of Manitoba Faculty Association (UMFA) has 1264 members, including 52 archivists and librarians, and in 2021 resolved the longest strike in association history. The newly ratified agreement contained major gains to advance pay equity within the union, and the strike itself maintained UMFA historic high levels of participation and member engagement, in part due to the significant contributions of librarians and archivists. In this paper, three librarians who held distinct positions of leadership within UMFA, particularly during its 2021 strike, examine the unique strengths and difficulties of librarians and archivists working within a broader faculty union to make change. Relying on core competencies of librarianship, such as collaboration, consultation, communication, and leadership, the authors collectively and successfully filled central roles in the strategic direction, organizational foundation, and on-the-ground mobilization of the strike effort. The historical context for the labour climate and organizing history at the University of Manitoba is examined and demonstrates that core competencies of librarians and archivists are valuable and imperative skills in faculty union organizing. Librarians and archivists can use this narrative to inform the development of their own activism within their unions and workplaces, and to examine how their own skills may help enhance and improve their working conditions.

An Analysis of the Functional Structure of Rural Collective Economic Organization

The special legal personality of rural collective economic organization is determined by their functional role, while the special legal personality position influences the legal person’s duties and functions through the legal person’s capacity for rights and action, and the resulting effects form the functional structure of rural collective economic organization. The functional structure of rural collective economic organization is a complete system of function composition, mode of action and function focus. By clarifying the logic and structure of the functions of rural collective economic organization, the role of rural collective economic organization in the development of a new type of rural collective economy can be more accurately understood, and a direction can be found for deepening the reform of the rural collective property rights system.

Concept of Mobile Application for Organization of Separate Waste Collection

The article presents the results of devising a concept for organization of separate waste collection at the household level using special software. The problem of waste collection and disposal at the local level in Russian regions is substantiated. All key characteristics of the problem area are defined and the basic concepts of functional capabilities of a respective mobile application are formulated using divergence, synthesis, analysis, transformation and convergence methods. The primary concept defines the following elements: accessibility of waste collection areas depending on their type; awareness of waste content and their preparation and disposal methods in household conditions; involvement of people of various age into the waste preparation and disposal process in a game format.

Collective management of copyright and related rights - fiscal implications

Creative activities are a constant in all the periods and changes that humanity has gone through, they enriched life, improved living conditions and contributed to the progress made in different areas of activity. In today’s highly digitized context, social networks, YouTube, Spotify and Netflix are representative means by which intellectual creations reach the public. In this equation, it is legally required to answer the question how do creators, authors and holders of related rights receive appropriate compensation for the use and exploitation of their works? Collective management organizations provide an answer, they provide a way through which copyright and related rights may be exercised. As a consequence of their contribution to the exploitation of copyright and related rights, collective management organizations also play a fiscal role. Some aspects require clarifications, such as identification of taxable persons, direct and indirect tax applied to the achieved income, as well as non-patrimonial tax obligations.

On the role of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and ensuring security and support for Armenia as its signatory during the ongoing armed conflict with Azerbaijan

The article describes the conflict between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan, two Caucasian states with the so-called the region of Nagorno-Karabakh, which is part of Azerbaijan, inhabited and ruled for many years by Armenians. In addition to a more detailed approximation of the background of the conflict and the current role of international organizations in its resolution, the article discusses the circumstances of the creation and history of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), which was established, among other things, to prevent and resolve conflicts among its signatories, including Armenia and Azerbaijan. The article makes a legal classification of Azerbaijan’s aggression against Armenia as a violation of the OBUZ treaty regulations and presents the legal consequences of this. It also contains a negative assessment of the current role of CSTO in settling the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan and a negative assessment of the Treaty’s real capacity to fulfill its functions, especially in the light of the current international situation and the current political situation in Armenia.

On the Distribution of Value-added Income of Homestead under the "Separation of Three Rights"

Under the policy of "separation of three rights" for homesteads, 33 pilot areas, such as Yiwu City, Deqing County, and Jinzhai County, have tried to solve the problem of the idle rural homestead and aboveground housing by transferring homestead use right in various ways, which also brings benefits to farmers, rural collective economic organizations, the government, and other related entities. However, combined with the reform documents issued locally and the pilot situation, it is not difficult to find that there are many problems in the distribution of the value-added income of homestead in many pilot areas, such as the restricted transfer objects of homestead use right, the controversial subjects of the right to the value-added income of homestead, and the distribution rules of the value-added income of homestead violate the principle of fairness. Based on this, it is recommended that the restrictive conditions for the transfer of homestead use rights to social entities should be relaxed and that the subjects of the right to increase the value-added income from homestead should be clearly defined as farmers, rural collective economic organizations, and the government. The income distribution rules should take into account the interests and benefits of the people.

Poverty and collective organization within the popular economy: a case study of bolivian migrant communities and their food production cooperative in Piedra Blanca, Córdoba, Argentina

Poverty and collective organization within the popular economy: a case study of bolivian migrant communities and their food production cooperative in Piedra Blanca, Córdoba, Argentina

Challenges & solutions for deterministic hydraulic modelling in Mediterranean coastal catchment. Application to the lower Paillons River, Nice, France

Different methods are used in hydrological and hydraulic modelling in a catchment. Deterministic modelling can be used to produce detailed information and optimize the organization of massive data collection. In the catchment of Paillons, there is a need to improve knowledge of hydrological processes through deterministic modelling. In fact, Nice Côte d’Azur metropolis faces numerous challenges in the Paillons catchment. The area provides water resources for large communities. However, it is exposed to flooding and droughts. Complex hydrological processes generate runoff over the 246 km2 watershed. Few existing monitoring stations provide runoff data. In addition, there are limitations in the understanding of surface hydraulics. Thus, this study uses DHI Mike21FM for surface hydraulics with 5 m grid size for riverbed and 2 m for tunnels. The study area is limited to the lower Paillons River. Observed and modelled water depths vary between 0.1 and 0.5 m for a maximum discharge of 38 m3/s in the tunnels. Flood maps created with a discharge of 1000 m3/s, show clearly high flood risk zones and flow directions. The selected CFL condition under 0.8 is respected. The tool is suitable for modeling flooding in areas of interest within the catchment of study. The results obtained are satisfactory and demonstrate that the constructed tool makes it possible to reproduce the overall behavior of surface hydraulics.

РАЗРАБОТКА МЕТОДИКИ АВТОМАТИЗИРОВАННОГО ИССЛЕДОВАНИЯ ЭНЕРГЕТИЧЕСКИХ ХАРАКТЕРИСТИК МИКРОБНЫХ ТОПЛИВНЫХ ЭЛЕМЕНТОВ

The paper in concerned with development of a procedure for experimental investigations of energy features of an ingenious tight microbial fuel cell model (MFC) in which the energy source is sludge, i.e. organic substances in bottom sediments. Authors consider the organization of electrical parameters collection and data handling program and give recommendations on the use of active sludge electrogenic properties in MFC. Excel tables with results of the investigations can be converted in graphics with the help of Python programs. The main graphic is the cell power dependence on time of operation. Choice of the Python language was driven by the desire to simplify the development of own databases of MFC substances and designs.

Civic participation through the Office of the National Ombudsman in the protection of labour rights in Bulgaria

This article examines the Office of the National Ombudsman as a possible channel for the exercise of citizen’s participation in democratic life in Bulgaria. Evidence in this direction is derived from the legally established possibilities and actions of the Office itself, as well as from the results of an empirical study based on in-depth interviews conducted with the occupiers of the position of the National Ombudsman as well as representatives of collective civil society organisations. The exercise of civic participation through the Office is illustrated by describing a case drawn from Bulgarian practice – the protests of workers and employees in defence of their rights to unpaid wages and other compensation in 2017 – which resulted in changes to the legislation championed by the Ombudsman. The Office is not above criticism and the article concludes with some suggestions for how the relationship with civil society could be improved and how the Office could better achieve its goals of strengthening civic life and, in particular, the perception among citizens that they do have the power to influence decision-making within the country.

Study on the Criteria for Identification of Membership in Rural Collective Economic Organizations

Study on the Criteria for Identification of Membership in Rural Collective Economic Organizations

Do contextual variables influence the spatial organisations of elite-level Brazilian professional soccer players?

Purpose.This study investigated the influence of contextual variables on individual and collective team spatial organisation in professional Brazilian players.Methods.Seventeen matches were analysed during the 1st division Brazilian National football League of 2019. Global Positioning System devices were used to track players’ in-game movements. The data were analysed using Matlab to calculate linear tactical variables. The selected tactical variables were ‘Distance from the last defender to the goal’; ‘Width and length’; ‘LpWratio’; ‘Spread’; ‘Space exploration index’ and ‘Stretch index’. Five contextual variables were considered: (i) playing time, (ii) match location, (ii) ranking of the opposition, (iii) match outcome, and (iv) match status.Results.Results demonstrated that the LpWratio values were significantly greater during the second half of matches when compared with the first half (<i>p</i> = 0.03; <i>d</i> = 0.62). Significantly greater length and spread values were identified when the team was playing against a bottom six team when compared with the medium eight teams (<i>p</i> = 0.05; <i>d</i> = 1.58–1.60). Significantly higher stretch index values were reported when playing a top six opposition team when compared with the medium eight opposition teams. During losses, the stretch index was significantly higher when compared with wins and draws, respectively (<i>p</i> = 0.01; <i>d</i> = 1.47–1.89). Finally, the LpWratio values were significantly higher during periods when the team was losing, when compared with periods of drawing and winning (<i>p</i> = 0.01; <i>d</i> = 1.07–1.12).Conclusions.In conclusion, the spatiotemporal organisations of professional-level Brazilian club players are significantly influenced by contextual variables. The current findings support the use of GPS devices in soccer as a time-efficient and logistically viable method to characterise tactical behaviour and examine spatiotemporal movement patterns.