International Treaties and Trade Agreements

On October 15, 2009, Janice Pilch authored an issue brief on the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) – a proposed international agreement aimed at creating a stronger framework for global enforcement of intellectual property rights, with a scope covering counterfeit trademarked goods and infringing copyrighted works – and the concerns for libraries.

A proposed WIPO Treaty is aimed at providing a minimum standard for copyright laws internationally to ensure full and equal access to information for blind and other reading disabled persons. Copyright laws worldwide need to be changed to allow for full and equal access to copyrighted works. This means greater flexibility for creating affordable accessible works at the same time...

Libraries share a unique social responsibility for preservation of and access to the world’s intellectual heritage, they have an interest in promoting copyright laws that provide the broadest possible use of information for creativity, research and education. The Library Copyright Alliance (LCA) is working to address an increasing number of international legal and policy issues that affect libraries and the...

The Intergovernmental Committee (IGC) on Traditional Knowledge, Genetic Resources and Traditional Cultural Expressions/Folklore is another focal point of the World Intellectual Property Organization. The IGC is charged with studying the policy positions of legal management and protection of certain cultural works created by indigenous communities. Should copyright law (or something like it) be used to protect these works? How does...

On July 14, 2009, members of the Library Copyright Alliance joined other interested organizations in voicing concerns to the United States Trade Representative in regard to the announced Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement negotiations.

The WIPO Development Agenda is a set of 45 recommendations adopted on September 28, 2007 by the WIPO General Assembly, aimed to address the interests and needs of developing and least developed countries within the international intellectual property system. It originated in an effort to ensure that intellectual property law and policy continue to serve the public good by encouraging...

On May 25, 2009, the Library Copyright Association, the Electronic Information for Libraries, and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions submitted a Statement of Principles on copyright limitations and exceptions for libraries and archives to the WIPO Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights in Geneva.

On December 5, 2008, the Library Copyright Alliance submitted comments on the European Commission’s Green Paper on Copyright in the Knowledge Economy.

Joint Statement of Certain Non-Governmental Civil Society and Technology Organizations on Copyright Limitations and Exception at the WIPO Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights, Seventeenth Session (Geneva, November 3-7, 2008) supporting limitations and exceptions to copyright for the benefit of the world’s visually impaired community, for libraries and archives, for education of the world’s citizens, and for the development...

Joint Statement of the Library Copyright Alliance, the International Federation of Library Associations, and Electronic Information for Libraries (eIFL.net) Copyright Limitations and Exceptions for Libraries at the WIPO Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights, Seventeenth Session (Geneva, November 3-7, 2008), including recommendations on copyright exceptions for preservation, interlibrary loan, research and education, and provisions for people with disabilities.