Knowledge Ecology International

Group B has offered amendments to a proposed conclusion for the WIPO SCCR 18 meeting. The amendments are designed to eliminate any agreement to discuss a treaty for blind and reading disabled persons at the next meeting of the SCCR. The United States, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Norway, the Holy See (the Vatican), the members of the European Union and other high income countries have joined in this statement. Later the EU offered an even blunter opposition to the treaty proposals. I have blogged about our disappointment in the Obama Administration on the Huffington Post here.

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And these are the draft conclusions on the casting treaty. And a date for the next SCCR which might be changed because it is the same date as a WTO meeting in Geneva.

Protection of broadcasting organizations

16. The committee expressed its appreciation for the information session on developments in broadcasting which focused on concerns of developing and least developed countries

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These are the draft conclusions regarding the audiovisual performances. The delegates had very few comments, so what you see here is more or less what the final paper will look like.

Protection of audiovisual performances

11. The Committee expressed its appreciation for the seminars organized by the Se. and encouraged the Sec to continue that activity

12. The Committee reaffirmed its commitment to work on developing the international protection of performances in audiovisual media.

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These are the draft conclusions distributed by the chair regarding item 5 of the agenda (i.e. limitations and exceptions). The paper was distributed before the lunch break (1-3pm). The delegates are consulting on it and will come back at 3pm. The final text will be modified of course but this is a good start.

SCCR 18 DRAFT CONCLUSIONS OF THE SSCR prepared by the chair
Limitations and exceptions

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On Monday, 25 May 2009, the governments of Brazil, Ecuador and Paraguay submitted a proposal to the to the 18th Session of the WIPO Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR) entitled, “Proposal by Brazil, Ecuador and Paraguay, relating to Limitations and Exceptions: Treaty proposed by the World Blind Union (WBU)”. Continue Reading →

On 13-14 May 2009, representatives from 10 Latin American and Caribbean governments, representatives from blind organizations and nongovernmental organizations met in Montevideo (Uruguay) to analyze the World Blind Union (WBU) proposal for a WIPO treaty for the blind, visually impaired and other reading disabled persons.

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Using the U.S. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), KEI has obtained the daily schedule of Ambassador Kirk, from March 20 to May 1, 2009. KEI has separately asked the USTR to routinely as a matter of transparency post this information on the USTR web page.

The response to the follow is presented below in two pdf files:
March 20 to April 14, 2009
April 15 to May 1, 2009

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WIPO has published the program of the “Information Meeting on Developments in Broadcasting Provisional Program” (SCCR/18/INF/2 Prov.) which will take place on Monday, 25 May 2009.

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