International Treaties and Trade Agreements

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.

Statement of Library Copyright Alliance to the Assemblies of the Member States of WIPO (Geneva, September 22-30, 2008) addressing the value of the recent preservation International Workshop on Digital Preservation and Copyright in July and studies commissioned by WIPO on expert studies on limitations and exceptions in the digital environment for the visually impaired, and for libraries and archives; and...

On September 18, 2008, the Library Copyright Alliance and other organizations submitted brief comments on the proposed ACTA anti-counterfeiting agreement, specifically focusing on ensuring that the “Internet provisions” not disrupt the delicate balance with respect to Section 512 struck in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, result in increased liability for intermediaries, or adopt solutions that directly or indirectly suggest changes...