A new international treaty introducing copyright exceptions for libraries and archives would severely damage European interests.
Creative sector organisations have united to warn the European Commission of the dangers of a proposed World Intellectual Property Organization treaty on copyright limitations and exceptions. At last week’s meeting of WIPO’s Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR), there were calls for an international treaty on copyright exceptions for libraries and archives.
The International Publishers Association, the Federation of European Publishers, the European Writers Council, for the book sector and other creative sector organisations have written to European Commission President, José Barroso, alerting him that any new legal instrument would severely prejudice Europe’s creative industries and wider interests.
The signatories point out that the SCCR’s future direction will have far-reaching implications for copyright. “WIPO’s approach should be to strive for an international copyright framework which facilitates the exchange
of experiences as well as technical cooperation and assistance, maintaining an appropriate balance between exceptions and corresponding exclusive rights.”
“We believe that the European Union and its Member States should have a fair and clear approach on this matter of critical importance to the creative sector.”