KEI supports work on copyright limitations and exceptions. Like many others, we think that access for disabled persons should be given priority. The World Blind Union (WBU) has petitioned WIPO consistently on this topic since 2002, at SCCR 7. It is time to address the human rights of disabled persons.
KEI asks the SCCR to remove the broadcasting treaty from the agenda until such time as there is greater consensus over the purpose of the treaty.
I’m in Geneva today, at a meeting of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). Last evening many people (not only the U.S. residents) were awake listening to the election results. The hangover today here is mostly from a lack of sleep, as the results of the election were not clear until very late (10 pm EST is 4 AM Switzerland time).
Pakistan, on behalf of the Asian Group, gave unequivocal support for the World Blind Union proposal for a WIPO Treaty for Blind, Visually Impaired and other Reading Disabled Persons. The Asian Group does not include China and Japan but includes such countries as India, Iran, Pakistan, Singapore, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and South Korea.
Here is the Asian Group’s specific intervention on the World Blind Union proposal.
The representative from the government of Chile (on behalf of Chile, Nicaragua, Brazil and Uruguay) delivered this very powerful statement this afternoon at WIPO during the Seventeenth Session of the Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR).
Chile proposed that the WIPO secretariat distributes a questionnaire on copyright exceptions and limitations between all WIPO Member States in order to continue with the information gathering process. Chile remarked on the good experience with the APEC survey on exceptions and limitations.
These are the notes I used for my oral presentation today at the WIPO SCCR 17 discussion on copyright limitations and exceptions. Jamie
KEI supports the proposal by Brazil, Chile, Nicaragua and Uruguay for a SCCR work program on L&E, including information gathering, analysis and norm setting.
KEI supports the proposal for a survey on L&E.
In terms of studies, KEI agrees with CI that WIPO should undertake studies related to distance education and innovative services to complete the other WIPO studies.
It is Tuesday, November 4, 2008, and the WIPO SCCR will hear from Judith Sullivan on copyright limitations and exceptions for the blind.
Judith Sullivan begins with a formal presentation of her February 2007 WIPO Study on Copyright Limitations and Exceptions for the Visually Impaired (SCCR/15/7). The presentation was quite good, and helpful, and followed the slides that WIPO has on its web page.
KEI has filed comments on the EC’s Green Paper on Copyright in the Knowledge Economy. Here are pdf and odt copies. The html version follows below. Comments of Knowledge Ecology International (KEI) on the GREEN PAPER: Copyright in the Knowledge… Continue Reading
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.
ONCE, the National Organization of the Spanish Blind, has written to the Spanish government requesting the support for the WBU WIPO treaty proposal.
ONCE argues that although Spain has a good exception for the blind, the WBU proposal will allow other governments to amend their copyright laws in a similar manner and that this proposal will also have benefits for the trans-border distribution of works. The letter highlights that the WBU treaty proposal will allow the creation of a global platform for the distribution of accessible documents.
At least sixteen non-governmental organizations from India representing the blind, the visual impaired, the disabled and the public interest sent a petition to India’s Registrar of Copyrights on November 3, 2008 expressing their support for the World Blind Union proposal for a WIPO Treaty for Blind, Visually Impaired and other Reading Disabled Persons. Here is the letter below in full.
Mr. G. R. Raghavender