Copyright Exceptions And Limitations: Efforts By Chair To Break Status Quo Gather Support

Yesterday, the chair of the World Intellectual Property Organization committee on copyright issued a non-official paper to delegates in an effort to break what appeared at the beginning of the session as status quo as delegations camped on their previous positions.

The WIPO Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights, which is meeting from 29 June to 3 July, is discussing possible international instruments to provide copyright exceptions and limitations to libraries, archives, educational and research institutions, and persons with other disabilities than visual impairment.

The discussions started yesterday with countries repeating their positions. Developing countries in general are requesting an international legally binding agreement providing exceptions and limitations, while developed countries are countering that the international copyright system already provides adequate provisions.

Yesterday at the end of the afternoon, SCCR Chair Martin Moscoso issued a non-official chart [pdf] with a number of topics to be discussed, such as preservation, right of reproduction and safeguarding copies, library lending, and parallel importations. Also in the chart is a summary of what has already been discussed by the committee on these items.

This morning, a large number of delegations supported the chair’s effort and his proposals of items to discuss. Some developed countries said it should not prejudge the outcome of the discussion. In particular, the European Union asked that the principle of discussion of national experiences be considered in the chart, and that some explanations on the purpose of the chart be added by the chair, which is expected to be done this afternoon.