Copyright: This week in Geneva
Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010This week in Geneva, the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) Standing Committee on Copyright and Related matters are meeting to discuss Protection of broadcasting organizations, Protection of audiovisual performances, and Limitations and exceptions.
It is the limitations and exceptions area that is my focus, The World Blind Union (WBU) prepared a Treaty for Improved Access for Blind, Visually Impaired and other Reading Disabled Persons which was tabled at WIPO in 2009. Twelve months later the treaty is still the main focus of discussion in Geneva, as there has been much opposition as critics claim that a treaty is not needed, and that a Trusted Intermediary (TI) approach would achieve the desired results.The WBU claim that a treaty is needed to ensure that all countries across the world regardless of their copyright Act can lend or borrow from other agencies. Over ninety-five percent of printed works are in formats inaccessible to people with a print disability.
WBU are arguing that an international treaty could address this “book famine” by removing copyright restrictions on translation of works into accessible formats and on sharing of these translations across national boundaries.
The latest news is the introduction of a proposal by the US.The US proposal which is a non binding alternative to the WBU treaty does not cover all the issues and is inadequate because of the following: at least it is not a legally binding instrument, it does not create a legal obligation for countries to make exceptions, meaning if either an exporting or importing country lacks an exception the transfer cannot be made; it discriminates against different kinds of media and does not seem to cover works shared online, it does not address the contractual restrictions on needed exceptions, and it doesn’t express the specific needs of developing countries.
Further reading:
Julie Rae
