WIPO Broadcaster’s Treaty
WIPO Meeting 9 – 13th May 2016, WIPO HQ, Geneva, Switzerland
The 32nd SCCR- Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) was held in Geneva from 9 – 13 May 2016.
In his opening speech, Mr Francis Gurry, Director General of WIPO stated that the SCCR has long been on the WIPO agenda and he expects to see some progress soon. At this session, a new non-governmental organisation, the Canadian Museum of History (CMH), was approved as an accredited SCCR observer.
The discussion centred on the protection of broadcasting organisations in the first half of the 5-day conference. The documents related to this agenda item were SCCR/27/2/REV, SCCR/27/6, SCCR/30/5, SCCR/31/3 and SCCR/32/3 as well as informal charts and non-papers prepared by the Chair, Mr Martin Moscoso Villacorta of Peru.
The Committee welcomed and considered document SCCR/32/3 prepared by the Chair, entitled Revised Consolidated Text on Definitions, Object of Protection, and Rights to be Granted. The Committee requested the Chair consider the textual proposals and clarifications made during the session with respect to the definitions and the object of protection with a view to integrating them in document 32/3, which will continue to be discussed in the next meeting scheduled to be held from 14 – 18 November 2016.
Other matters discussed in the 32nd session were limitations and exceptions, the Proposal for Analysis of Copyright Related to the Digital Environment, document SCCR/31/4 submitted by the Group of Latin American and Caribbean Countries (GRULAC) and the Resale Rights (droit de suite) document SCCR/31/5 submitted by Senegal and Congo. The Chair concluded that these matters will be on the agenda for the next SCCR session to be held in November.
Although some members supported the Chair’s proposal for an extra session exclusively dedicated to discussion on the Protection of Broadcasting Organisations, the matter did not receive unanimous support and was therefore disregarded. Some members, especially the European Union (EU), considered it premature to hold sessions in addition to the ordinary sessions of the Committee.
The ABU was represented at the 32nd SCCR by Mr Yan BO (CCTV- China), Chairman of the Copyright Committee, Mr Ichinohashi (NHK -Japan), Mr Suranga (Maharaja TV-Sri Lanka) and Mr Nawaz Dookhee (ABU Legal Department). The delegation had a work session prior to the SCCR on Sunday at the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) Headquarters together with delegates from ARIPI – Alliance of Latin American Intellectual Property Broadcasters and NABA- North American Broadcasters Association.
Next WIPO Meetings For The Year 2016
- November 14 to 18, 2016 (Geneva, Switzerland) 33rd Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights
WIPO Documents
For access to WIPO documents on the Broadcasters Treaty, kindly contact Mr Nawaz Dookhee, Legal Manager, email: nawaz@abu.org.my