World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
Copyright Society of the USA
Denver
March 17, 2008

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Copyright at WIPO
International copyright policy framework
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WIPO Copyright Treaties
– Exceptions & limitations to copyright
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WIPO Development Agenda
– World Summit on the Information Society
Impact of technology on copyright policy
Challenges
Future directions

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United Nations specialized agency members - 184 Member States observers - 222 non-governmental organizations, 66 international organizations over 900 staff members based in Geneva (offices in Singapore, New York,
Brussels, Tokyo)

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Normsetting
– treaty-making processes
Providing international IP services to private sector
– registration services for patents, trademarks & designs
– dispute resolution (WIPO Arbitration & Mediation
Center)
Enhancing access to the IP system
– assist developing country members, as well as SMEs to use IP as a tool for economic, cultural & social development
– distance learning programs (WIPO Worldwide Academy)
– seminars, conferences, studies and documents

Ongoing Process
updating copyright law to the digital environment
through treaties, and soft-law approaches
Regular meetings of Standing Committee on
Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR; most recent meeting, March 10-12, 2008)

Multilateral treaties:
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Berne Convention (1971)
 Rome Convention (1961)
 TRIPS Agreement (1994)
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WIPO Internet Treaties (1996)
• plus free-trade agreements

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WIPO Copyright Treaty (WCT)
• in force March 6, 2002 (64 States party)
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WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty (WPPT)
• in force May 20, 2002 (62 States party)
• membership mainly developing countries, including
China, plus Singapore, USA, Belgium, Japan,
Australia..
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Guide to the Copyright and Related Rights Treaties
Administered by WIPO (Ficsor, 2003)

* ensure that rightsholders control dissemination of protected material over Internet, including right to make available
‘on demand’
• right of reproduction (temporary reproduction)
• right of making available
• limitations and exceptions for the digital age
• technological protection measures provisions
• rights management information
• generally updated:
• protection of computer programs and databases
• distribution and rental rights
• enforcement
• economic and moral rights for performers
• economic rights for producers of phonograms

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More than 300 FTAs worldwide concluded, or under negotiation
• involve trilaterals, bilaterals and harmonization talks
• most include chapters on intellectual property rights
• Example: US-Singapore Free Trade Agreement
• resulted in Copyright (Amendment) Act 2005, in force in
Singapore on August 15, 2005
• FTA requires:
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• legal protection against circumvention of technological protection measures criminal penalties to persons wilfully and for commercial gain circumventing TPMs certain provisions regarding limitations and exceptions

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WCT negotiators recognized “the need to maintain a balance between the rights of authors and the larger public interest, particularly education, research and access to information as reflected in the Berne Convention” and
• the need to “provide adequate solutions to the questions raised by the new economic, social, cultural and technological developments”
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“the profound impact of the development and convergence of information and communication technologies on the creation and use of literary and artistic works”

Current legal status
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3 step test - Berne Convention, TRIPS Agreement, WCT and WPPT
• certain special cases
• do not conflict with normal exploitation
• do not prejudice the legitimate interests of rightholders
Issues : challenge to maintain exceptions (eg fair dealing) in digital environment with use of DRM/TPMs
DRM tools used to manage rights when faced with increasing piracy of music, film, software, and emergence of P2P networks
use of contract to override exceptions
role of private copying exceptions in P2P context

Chilean proposal
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Proposal by Chile on the Analysis of Exceptions and
Limitations (SCCR/13/5, 2005) http://www.wipo.int/meetings/en/details.jsp?meeting_i
d=9289
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Define minimum exceptions at international level in three areas:
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Educational uses
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Libraries and archives
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Handicapped persons

 Study on Copyright Limitations and Exceptions for the Visually Impaired
(Sullivan, 2007) http://www.wipo.int/meetings/en/doc_details.jsp?doc_id=75696
 Automated Rights Management Systems and Copyright Limitations and
Exceptions (Garnett, 2006) http://www.wipo.int/meetings/en/doc_details.jsp?doc_id=59952
 Study on Current Developments in the Field of Digital Rights Management
(Cunard, Hill, Barlas, 2004) http://www.wipo.int/meetings/en/doc_details.jsp?doc_id=29478
 Study on Limitations and Exceptions to Copyright and Related Rights in the
Digital Environment (Ricketson, 2003) http://www.wipo.int/meetings/en/doc_details.jsp?doc_id=16805

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New means of digital content delivery & licensing
– digital music services (iTunes)
– user-generated content (YouTube, MySpace, Second
Life)
– online audiovisual distribution (podcasting, vlogging)
– online publishing (Google Book Project)
– choice in licensing (Creative Commons, open source software)
– new technological protection measures, DRM control access to creative content

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* rapid development of pervasive distributed technologies
– evolution of peer-to-peer networks: Napster to Kazaa to
BitTorrent emergence of Web 2.0 “architecture of participation”
– user-generated content
– collaborative creativity “remix”
– commercial convergence of user-generated content sites exponential growth in number of Internet users, service providers and information sources
– broadband access, mobile telephones, digital satellite radio and TV (Internet protocol TV) convergence of traditional content, media and communications providers and telcos

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New business models
Distributed technologies & collaborative creativity
Web 2.0
Evolution of peer-to-peer networks (P2P) - Napster to
BitTorrent
User-generated content - YouTube, MySpace, Second Life
Online audiovisual distribution - podcasting and vlogging
Online publishing - Google Book Search Project

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Digital Rights Management
Importance of TPMs and RMI recognized in WIPO
Internet Treaties
Current state of technical development
Policy issues
• Interoperability
• Appropriate use by copyright holders
• Relationship between DRM and fair use
 Study on Current Developments in the Field of Digital
Rights Management (Cunard, Hill, Barlas, 2004) http://www.wipo.int/meetings/en/doc_details.jsp?doc_id=29478

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Standards and Interoperability
Standard setting bodies (MPEG, ISO..)
Rationale for interoperable ICT standards in digital content delivery
• interoperability and network value
• interoperability and rights management technologies legislative promotion of interoperability (France, iTunes) standard setting bodies (SSOs - MPEG, ISO, W3C, IETF)
“open standards” - IPR policies of SSOs
• licensing terms (RAND, FRAND, RF) role of patents in ICT technology and standards

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Internet Service Provider (ISP) liability expanding definition of ‘Internet intermediary’ may include peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing services, portals and auction sites effect of non-harmonization of legal treatment
WIPO Seminar on Copyright and Internet Intermediaries -
April 18, 2005
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WIPO Paper “Online Intermediaries and Liability for
Copyright Infringement (Waelde, Edwards, 2005) http://www.wipo.int/meetings/2005/wipo_iis/en

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Development Agenda process commenced WIPO General Assembly 2004 – proposal submitted by Brazil and Argentina and supported by a number of other countries
– to mainstream the “development dimension” into al of
WIPO’s substantive and technical assistance activities and debates
“Friends of Development”
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14 countries + other developing and least developed countries
– various agendas (patents, trademarks, copyright, WIPO governance)

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Recommendations adopted by WIPO General Assembly
(10/07) ( 4 clusters):
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Technical Assistance and Capacity Building
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Norm-Setting, Flexibilities, Public Policy and Public
Domain
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Technology Transfer, Information and Communication
Technologies and Access to Knowledge
– Assessment, Evaluation and Impact Studies
 Recommendations available at http://www.wipo.int/ip-development/en/agenda.html

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World Summit on the Information Society
– Two phases: Geneva 2003, Tunis 2005
– Declaration of Principles, Plan of Action, Agenda for the Information Society
– Follow up: Internet governance & IP (Athens, 2005;
Rio 2007)
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WIPO Online Forum on Intellectual Property in the
Information Society (June 1-15, 2005)
– Report at http://www.wipo.int/ipisforum/en/

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• Liability of Internet intermediaries
Interoperability and standards for DRM and RMI
Further work to improve protection of audiovisual performers
Expanding choice of licensing models, business models and tools to support them
Enhanced access to public domain material, orphan works
Copyright guidance for museums
Economic analysis of exceptions and limitations in the digital environment

www.wipo.int
richard.owens@wipo.int