The Stop! the Regulations petition is up and running – and ready for your signature.

The African Commons Project and members of the open access community in South Africa have been working together to draft a letter of protest to the Department of Science and Technology using the collaborative writing tools at MixedInk. The community was mobilised when it came to light that the Minister of Science and Technology is proposing to include a set of regulations in the Publicly Financed Research and Development Act, section 17, that will result in dire consequences for the research sector in South Africa in particular and all South Africans in general, by stifling local innovation and access to knowledge.

We would now like you to show your support for this cause by adding your signature to the growing list of people who are concerned that these Draft Regulations will put South Africa significantly behind the rest of the world when it comes to innovation in research. You can read and sign the petition here. Please sign up soon as the petition will be closed and sent to the minister on 29 May.

Thanks to all those who have contributed to the petition so far, and those who contributed to the writing of the submission paper to the Department of Science and Technology.

If you’d like to read more about the proposed regulations, the consequences of the regulations, and the process through which the community has been consulted throughout this campaign, you can do so here and here.