WASHINGTON, D.C. (December 1, 2015) — Today, The OpenGov Foundation’s Executive Director Seamus Kraft issued the following statement on the announcement that Hypothes.is has launched a coalition of 40 private and public-sector publishers with the shared goal of transforming all of their publications from inaccessible, paper-based formats into useful, digital and restriction-free data that anyone can interact with, discuss and share online:
“The Internet has changed how everyone reads, learns and shares what they discover. From school books to law books, you see many publishers struggling to adapt to this new digital reality. But these open annotation coalition members are creating an innovative, potentially game-changing new publishing paradigm. It should serve as a model and inspiration for all those who produce or distribute information today.
“Fast and fundamental change isn’t always easy or fun or hassle-free. We see it every day, with government and private-sector publishers alike. But just like the Free Law Founders are transforming lawmaking, Hypothes.is coalition members are choosing to meet change with cost-saving collaboration and openness, instead of expensive paywalls and litigation.
“Today’s announcement is exciting, but only a start. No one knows what publishing will look like in five years. And no one can tell how many life-saving cures or smarter government policies are waiting within this growing trove of accessible data. But I do know that by dismantling artificial barriers placed between people and critical insights, the odds for breakthrough innovations are far greater than when all that human knowledge was reserved for the privileged or collecting dust on a shelf.”
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