Exceptions To Copyright To Remain On Agenda Of WIPO Copyright Committee; Intellectual Property Watch, 12/17/15

Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch; Exceptions To Copyright To Remain On Agenda Of WIPO Copyright Committee:

"Copyright exceptions for libraries, archives, educational and research institutions and persons with disabilities other than visual impairment will remain on the agenda of the next session of the World Intellectual Property Organization copyright committee. The subject is touchy as developing countries deem those exceptions vital for development and developed countries say that the current global copyright framework leaves enough space for national exceptions to copyright.

The topic of exceptions and limitations to copyright in favour of libraries and archives has made more progress than the other topics on exceptions and limitations and last week, during the 31st session of the WIPO Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR), delegates considered a chart, which had been prepared by the committee chair, Martin Moscoso of Peru.

The chart [pdf], according to the foreword by Moscoso, was “designed to serve as a useful tool to provide a structure to discuss the substance for each topic.”"

WIPO Copyright Committee Hears Case For Exceptions For Museums; Intellectual Property Watch, 12/10/15

Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch; WIPO Copyright Committee Hears Case For Exceptions For Museums:

"A study [pdf] was presented yesterday on the need for copyright exceptions and limitations for museums by Lucie Guibault, co-authored with Jean-François Canat, and Elisabeth Logeais, who collaborated on the study.

According to the authors, the study investigates the issue of limitations and exceptions to copyright for museums and means to raise the international understanding on the need for museums to have adequate limitations to copyright. The study gives an overview of relevant existing legislative provisions.

Museum collections include diverse objects, such as objects of art, texts, drawings, paintings, photographs, maps, films and sound recordings, according to the study. Museums have to adapt to the digital age and consider digitising and disseminating their collections via the internet.

In principle, said the authors, museums need rights holders’ permission to reproduce any copyright-protected objects in their collections, unless an exception or limitation to copyright applies. Of the 188 WIPO members, only 45 of them have laws which contain provisions specifically allowing museums to make certain uses of works in their collections without prior authorisation of the rights holder, the study found."

WIPO SCCR Constructs Library Exceptions Topics For Discussion; Intellectual Property Watch, 11/23/11

William New, Intellectual Property Watch; WIPO SCCR Constructs Library Exceptions Topics For Discussion:

"The World Intellectual Property Organization copyright committee today agreed on “clusters” of topics under which they will discuss topics related to limitations and exceptions to copyright for libraries and archives, with an eye toward a possible instrument in the future."