World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) General Assemblies 2015 (A55 / GA47)

07 October 2015

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Agenda Item 12, Report of the Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR)

Intervention by EBLIDA, the European Bureau of Library, Information and Documentation Associations

Mr Chairman, I am speaking on behalf of EBLIDA, the European Bureau of Library, Information and Documentation Associations. EBLIDA represents more than 70000 libraries throughout Europe and about 400000 Information professionals.

The challenges libraries and archives face are global and not limited by national frontiers, whether within a so-called borderless Europe or beyond. There has been support for in depth discussions on library and archive limitations and exceptions from a large number of countries and we support and thank the African Group, Brazil, Ecuador, India and Uruguay for their consolidated document SCCR/29/4 bringing together all the proposals on limitations and exceptions for libraries and archives .

EBLIDA and its members believe that WIPO as a body of the United Nations, should be able to fulfil its duty to facilitate the building of common international set of rules and minimum standards for those library and archive topics identified by SCCR as needing international treatment without pre-empting the form such rules could take - and also to identify other avenues by which support for libraries and archives on the other topics can be offered. We think that the SCCR Chair’s Non-Paper will help the Committee to do this.

EBLIDA aims at supporting the improvement of circulation of knowledge, especially cross-border, relying on the approval by member-states to international minimum norms for library and archive limitations and exceptions that will work in the digital environment, so that scientific research, culture and heritage are equally accessible to all people from one country to another in a way that will impact positively on research, education and learning in both developing and developed countries.

The evidence put forward in Prof Crews original study and its update showed that few countries are addressing the emerging issues of a digital environment and that in most countries “the recent changes have been modest, resulting in little appreciable alteration of the substance of the law.”

We urge this Assembly to support SCCR to undertake discussions on limitations and exceptions for libraries and archives that lead to effective proposals that can be translated into meaningful recommendations for upcoming SCCRs. Where these discussions might lead can be left to a later time - the establishment of agreed proposals by SCCR should in itself clarify the ways forward to take towards implementing it.

Thank you for your attention.

Vincent Bonnet, Director, EBLIDA

• IFLA, EBLIDA and CILIP Statements at the WIPO General Assembly 2015

 

 

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