Negotiations

WIPO’s press release for SCCR 17, what isn’t said says something

Posted on by James Love

Two quick points about the WIPO press release for SCCR 17:

1. The press release does not mention the term “trans-border” (a reference to export and import), even though this was referred to in the context of L&E for distance education in the SCCR conclusions. Clearly the EU opposition to the New Zealand text on “application to the international exchange of materials in accessible formats” made an impression on the WIPO Secretariat.

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SCCR draft conclusions — influenced by right-owners, ignore WBU proposal

Posted on by James Love

WIPO has just released at 8:50 am, “draft conclusions of the SCCR.”

The section on limitations and exceptions was good in some areas, for example, when the committee “stressed the importance of the forthcoming study on exceptions and limitations for the benefit of educational activities, including distance education and the trans-border aspect therof, and that it should include developing and least developed countries.”

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WIPO SCCR/17 day one, on copyright L&E

Posted on by James Love

I’m in Geneva at WIPO for the 17th SCCR meeting. The first two days have presentations of four WIPO studies of copyright limitations and exceptions. Each study gets a half day. The first presentation was by Sam Ricketson.

WIPO Study on Limitations and Exceptions of Copyright and Related Rights in the Digital Environment, (SCCR/9/7), April 5, 2003. prepared by Mr. Sam Ricketson, Professor of Law, University of Melbourne and Barrister, Victoria, Australia

The Ricketson presentation was very clear.

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WIPO: Under Siege?

Posted on by Thiru

Walking around the marbled corridors of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) during its 43rd General Assembly, one cannot help but feel a palpable sense of an Organization under siege. Heightened security detail, ostensibly for the protection of the institution and the assembled delegates, was referred by one insider as justification for WIPO maintaining the current levels for patent filing fees.

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WIPO General Assembly 2007 document: Brief note on allegations against the Organization and its Director General

Posted on by Thiru

The outgoing General Assembly Chair, Enrique Manalo (Ambassador, Philippines) commenced the 43th session of the WIPO General Assembly at 10:23 AM (Central European Time). Ambassador Manalo highlighted the success of Development Agenda negotiations as a hallmark of his tenure as Chair over the course of 2 years.

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US del clarifies (sort of) position on “by any means”

Posted on by James Love

This is technical. The United States delegation says

“US did oppose deletion of “by any means” so that simultaneous retransmission of traditional broadcasts on the internet is covered…..but we never spoke on deferred retransmissions last night.”

However, in the texts that have been made public, the “by any means” applies to both cases. The negotiations are now being held in secret.

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