After a week of work on the three current subjects of the World Intellectual Property Organization copyright committee, member states mostly made progress on a potential treaty to protect broadcasting organisations, while exceptions and limitations to copyright for libraries, archives, education and research remain in the stage of determining broad concepts.
The 26th session of the WIPO Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR) was held from 16-20 December. The first two days of the meeting were devoted to the protection of broadcasting organisations, the two following days to exceptions and limitations (L&Es) to copyright for libraries and archives, and the last morning to exceptions and limitations to copyright for education and research (IPW, WIPO, 18 December 2013).
Late in the afternoon of the last day, proposed conclusions [pdf] by the chair were released for delegates to examine and agree upon. Discussions drew delegates well into the night as many corrections had to be included in the document before it could be adopted.
Prior to the proposed conclusions, the Group of Central European and Baltic States (CEBS) put forward a draft work plan [pdf] for the three next sessions of the SCCR.
The future work of the SCCR divided countries on the time allocation between the three issues currently discussed in the committee. The proposed work plan allocated more time to the protection of broadcasting organisations, which a number of developing countries, such as Brazil and India, contested. Brazil suggested that the same time allocation be used as in the 26th session: 2 days for broadcasting, 2 days for limitations and exceptions for libraries and archives, and 1 day for limitations and exceptions for education and research.
The Group of Latin American and Caribbean countries (GRULAC) suggested holding an intersessional meeting on limitations and exceptions for libraries and archives between the 27th and 28th sessions of the SCCR, supported by the African Group, but this suggestion was resisted by Group B (developed countries). Some countries also pointed out that getting agreement on conclusions of the session is time-consuming.
Given the diverging views, countries agreed to only plan for the work programme of the 27th session of the SCCR and leave the 27th session to discuss future sessions.
The SCCR chair finally proposed the following work programme for the next meeting, which was accepted: two and a half days for broadcasting, two days for limitations and exceptions for library and archives, and time permitting, for education and research, with a half day to discuss the conclusions.
(Source: IP Watch)
