Research Exceptions in Comparative Copyright

This Article categorizes the world’s copyright laws according to the degree to which they provide exceptions to copyright exclusivity for research uses. We classify countries based on the degree to which they have a research exception in their law that is sufficiently open to be able to permit reproduction and communications of copyrighted work needed for academic (i.e. non-commercial) text and data mining (TDM) research. We show that nearly every copyright law has at least one exception that promotes uses for research purposes. We find six different approaches to the provision of research exceptions that implicate application to TDM. Notably, not all recent exceptions passed specifically to enable TDM receive the most open ranking in our typology. And a significant number of countries, marked red in our maps, do not provide a research exception or limit uses only to quotations. This report may be useful in helping countries find models for domestic copyright reform as well for consideration of guidelines or norms for harmonization between countries

Orbit Determination of Resident Space Objects Using the P-Band Mono-Beam Receiver of the Sardinia Radio Telescope

The population of space debris in near-Earth space is continuously growing and it represents a serious problem for active satellites and spacecraft. A performant ground-based and space-based network of sensors is necessary for space surveillance and consequently to prevent new collisions and monitoring atmospheric reentry of these objects. This paper illustrates the possible role of the Italian ground-based novel bi-static radar sensor, named BIRALET, for space monitoring and resident space objects tracking. The main characteristics of the receiver system, the Sardinia Radio Telescope with its P-band mono-beam receiver, are described in detail. Then, a preliminary analysis of the performance of the sensor is presented, and the results of numerical simulations are shown, providing a general overview on both observation capabilities and orbit determination accuracy achievable with the Sardinia Radio Telescope

Measuring Change in Copyright Exceptions for Text and Data Mining

Copyright exceptions for researchers are under debate at the World Intellectual Property Organization and within domestic governments, yet empirical research in this area is rare. In this early working paper, we aim to add to this nascent body of research. We expand PIJIP’s previous review and classification of copyright exceptions in WIPO Members’ laws by tracing changes in the laws over time. We find that most countries have copyright exceptions allowing some unauthorized uses for research purposes. However, most countries’ exceptions restrict some mix of the users, uses, or types of works that are allowed. High-income countries tend to be more permissive of researcher’s unauthorized uses, than countries in other income groups, and their laws have grown slightly more permissive over the past two decades. Former British colonies with a history of fair dealing tend to be more permissive than other countries, but they are becoming less permissive on average as they amended their laws

The AD HOC back‐end of the biralet radar to measure slant‐range and doppler shift of resident space objects

Space debris is a term for all human‐made objects orbiting the Earth or reentering the atmosphere. The population of space debris is continuously growing and it represents a potential issue for active satellites and spacecraft. New collisions and fragmentation could exponentially increase the amount of debris and so the level of risk represented by these objects. The principal technique used for the debris monitoring, in the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) between 200 km and 2000 km of altitude, is based on radar systems. The BIRALET system represents one of the main Italian radars involved in resident space objects observations. It is a bi‐static radar, which operates in the P‐band at 410–415 MHz, that uses the Sardinia Radio Telescope as receiver. In this paper, a detailed description of the new ad hoc back‐end developed for the BIRALET radar, with the aim to perform slant‐range and Doppler shift measurements, is presented. The new system was successfully tested in several validation measurement campaigns, the results of which are reported and discussed

Status of the Sardinia Radio Telescope as a receiver of the BIRALET bi-static radar for space debris observations

Space debris are human-made objects, of variable sizes and shapes, that orbit the Earth or reenter the atmosphere. They represent a serious problem for every active spacecraft and satellite, due to the high risk of collision and consequently the generation of new debris. One of the main segments of the Space Situational Awareness program regards space surveillance and tracking activities, with procedures for tracking resident space objects, using a sensor network composed by radars, telescopes and lasers. In this way, it is possible to collect data in order to catalogue and perform orbit predictions of objects orbiting the Earth, with the aim of avoiding collisions between them. One of the Italian radars for space and surveillance tracking functions is represented by the BIRALET system, an acronym which stands for Bistatic Radar for LEO Tracking. This radar operates in P-band at 410-415 MHz, is a bi-static configuration composed of a transmitting 7-meter antenna and the SRT (Sardinia Radio Telescope) as receiver, with a baseline of about 20 km. The Sardinia Radio Telescope is a 64-meter fully steerable wheel-and-track antenna, located near San Basilio (Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy). It represents a flexible instrument used for radio astronomy and space science studies, developed to work in a wide frequency range between 300 MHz and 110 GHz. In this paper, we present a review of the status of the SRT for space debris observation. In particular, we describe three possible system configurations, in order to perform Doppler shift and range measurements. In particular, we present a simplified solution based on a spectrum analyzer as a back-end that permits only Doppler shift measurements. Another more complex solution for Doppler shift measurements, is based on the electronic Red Pitaya board. For the Red Pitaya we developed also a dedicated signal acquisition chain with a down-conversion circuit, in order to shift the received signal in the frequency range of the board. Finally, a more complex solution that allows range and range rate measurements, based on the National Instrument USRP board as a back-end. For future developments, we present the possibility to improve our system, using a C-band Phased Array Feed as a receiver

Improved COST 231-WI Model for Irregular Built-Up Areas

The estimation of the field levels generated by radio base stations set in urban environment is still urgent need and a relevant issue for the compliance to national regulations and for propagation concerns. This work copes with the estimation of electromagnetic field generated by UHF base stations in peculiar urban scenarios. To account for irregular geometries and to deal with the propagation in hilly town, the COST 231-Walfisch-Ikegami model is modified and rephrased in order to evaluate the path loss at distances greater than 20 meters from the base station in such peculiar urban environments. Measurements were carried out in the small urban and irregular built-up areas of Dorgali (NU), Cala Gonone (NU) and Lunamatrona (CA), Italy, to validate the model

Prototype of a Low-Cost Electronic Platform for Real Time Greenhouse Environment Monitoring: An Agriculture 4.0 Perspective

The Internet of Things has a high impact on upgrade and transformation of the traditional greenhouse agricultural techniques. It is necessary to control the environmental factors for obtaining the optimum growth conditions for the crop and extend the production season to get the optimum yield. These aspects are fundamental for Agriculture 4.0, that uses technology not simply for the sake of innovation but to improve and address the real needs of consumers. In this paper, a prototype of a low-cost electronic platform for real time greenhouse environment monitoring has been designed, developed and built. The prototype has been developed with the purpose of firmware and software prototyping, in order to make the most of device performances. The electronic board is composed by a Main Board, a Green House Core, aWi-Fi Module, a RS485 Module, an Analog-to-Digital Converter Module and a USB Module. The system permits to collect data by external sensors, elaborate and send them to external devices as laptop, smartphone and internet gateway, using both wired and wireless connection. These data concern to main greenhouse environmental parameters, such as air temperature, humidity, solar radiation, air velocity and CO2 concentration. AWeb application has been implemented to allow users a consultation of greenhouse environmental state in a simple and fast way

Sardinia aperture array demonstrator: measurement campaigns of radio frequency interferences

Measurement campaigns of radio frequency interferences (RFIs) represent a fundamental aspect to optimize data collected by radio astronomical observations. In order to monitor the state of unwanted man-made signals, every radio telescope needs to have a radio frequency map in the frequencies range of its receivers. The Sardinia Aperture Array Demonstrator (SAD) is an Italian aperture array demonstrator composed of prototypical Vivaldi antennas designed to work at frequencies below 500 MHz. The antennas are located at the Sardinia Radio Telescope (SRT) site and they are arranged with a versatile approach that is able to provide different array configurations. In this paper, we present the results of measurement campaigns conducted with the SAD antennas at the SRT observing site with the aim to monitor the evolution of RFI scenario from 2016 to date. The signal acquisition chain and the software tool used for RFI detection are, also, presented

Advantages of using a C-band phased array feed as a receiver in the Sardinia radio telescope for space debris monitoring

The population of space debris is continuously growing and it represents a potential problem for satellites and spacecraft. In fact, new collisions could exponentially rise the number of debris and so the level of threat represented by these objects. To prevent new collisions, the monitoring of space environment is necessary. For this reason, radar measurements are relevant, in particular to observe Space Debris in Low Earth Orbit. In recent years, the Sardinia Radio Telescope, a fully steerable wheel-and-track 64-m antenna, located in Sardinia (Italy), has been used as a receiver in a Pband bi-static radar for space debris monitoring purposes. In this paper the authors investigate the advantages of using a Phased Array Feed in C-band for space debris monitoring (e.g. improved sensitivity and gain, detection of the object trajectory allowed by multiple beams, improvement of the orbit determination of known and unknown debris), as a receiver of the Sardinia Radio Telescope compared to the already used mono-beam P-band receiver