New proposals at WIPO and EIFL delivers first statement

The first three days of the WIPO Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR) dedicated to libraries and archives, resulted in a full and fruitful discussion with thoughtful and positive engagement from Member States. Critically, several Member States put forward new proposals in favour of libraries and archives.

The first was a background paper presented by Brazil on the case for a treaty on exceptions and limitations for libraries and archives. The background paper was prepared by EIFL, IFLA, ICA and Innovarte and gave us an opportunity during the meeting to present our ideas for a library treaty. The following day, Brazil, together with Ecuador and Uruguay made an additional proposal in four specific areas: library lending, copying by libraries and archives, technological protection measures and limitation on liability. The United States suggested objectives and principles for exceptions and limitations for libraries and archives that also included other topics, such as legal deposit. Together with the proposal from the African Group, this means that Member States have before them solid informatory materials and concrete proposals in treaty language, a positive start for future progress. The proposals are available in the UN languages.

Awa Diouf Cissé from the Consortium des Bibliothèques de l' Enseignement Supérieur du Sénégal (COBESS) and EIFL-IP country coordinatorRead the opening statement by EIFL delivered by Awa Cissé from Consortium des Bibliothèques de l' Enseignement Supérieur du Sénégal (COBESS) in French. English version.