Further Progress Made on WIPO Broadcast Rights Treaty

A key committee of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), its Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (Committee), has approved a draft proposal of a treaty to protect broadcasting rights. The Treaty on the Protection of Broadcasting Organizations (WIPO Treaty) seeks to prevent broadcasting and cable signals from being stolen and retransmitted elsewhere. Most of the member states agreed not to include webcasting in the WIPO Treaty, thereby postponing dealing with the controversial issue of webcasting rights. However, many states and non-governmental organizations voiced objections, and some claimed that their objections were dismissed by the Committee. Before the Committee meeting, a coalition of electronics and telecommunication companies including Dell, Sony, and Intel, along with consumer rights organizations, released a joint statement which said that the WIPO Treaty was unnecessary, and the most important intellectual property issues were already addressed under existing laws. (See an earlier news item in E-TIPS®, "Proposed Copyright Treaty Could Affect Home Entertainment", Vol 5, No 6, September 13, 2006). Until now, negotiations have been led by technical representatives. However, further negotiations at the diplomatic level are slated to take place at the WIPO Diplomatic Conference, scheduled for July 11 to August 1, 2007. For more information, see: http://makeashorterlink.com/?P2F1259DD Summary by: Andrei Edwards