July 24 SCCR 24 informals on blind treaty produce a text, but EU and US block real movement on treaty

This evening’s informal negotiations at the SCCR 24 on the disabilities issue are over, and delegates are coming out now, with a variety of different stories. Some new document will be tabled Wednesday morning. It will have some important differences, unlike a fairly clean text that was tabled a year ago as SCCR/22/15 REV.1, which was endorsed by Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, the European Union and its Member States, Mexico, Norway, Paraguay, the Russian Federation, the United States of America and Uruguay.

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SCCR24: Today, all but India agreed on a single text to move the broadcasting treaty forward

July 24, 2012 afternoon plenary: the broadcasting treaty text moved forward. All but India supported the Chair’s text as the basis of future works. In their own words:

EGYPT: Thank you, Chair. The African Group …
The African Group would support that the Chair’s nonpaper be adopted as the Committee’s working document, to guide our future deliberations on broadcasting. It’s our further recommendation that this Committee makes a clear recommendation to the General Assembly on our plan towards hosting a Diplomatic Conference on broadcasting in 2014.

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Time is running out at SCCR24 and there is a lot at stake

India like many other delegations (except the EU Commission and the US) has been a strong advocate for the treaty to faciltate access and sharing of accessible formats. There is a lot at stake.
According to the WHO page on the incidence of visual impairments in India:
285 million people are visually impaired worldwide: 39 million are blind and 246 have low vision.
About 90% of the world’s visually impaired live in developing countries.

India has a particularly large population of blind persons:
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Latest text on the definition of authorized entity: Proposals for revised text for document SCCR/23/7

On Monday, 23 July 2012 the International Bureau of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has released the latest text on an instrument for copyright exceptions and limitations for disabilities entitled “Proposals for revised text for document SCCR/23/7”. This document is the result of both formal discussions in the plenary of the WIPO Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR) held on Friday, 20 July 2012 and informal negotiations held on Saturday afternoon on 21 July 2012. Once this text is available electronically, KEI will publish the full text online. Continue Reading

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Video Interviews and Press Coverage from SCCR 24

The following interviews were recorded during the 24th meeting of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR). Most of the interviews are focused on the negotiations on a new WIPO treaty for persons who are blind or have other disabilities. The time of the videos varies from 16 seconds to more than 18 minutes. They are organized by the type of stakeholder, and the date of the interviews. This page will be updated during the meeting as I add more videos. Continue Reading

Governments views on progress on broadcasting treaty at WIPO SCCR24

July 23, 2012. The plenary at WIPO has started again briefly before lunch. While there is not much progress on a text about broadcasting protection there seems to be consensus among governments regarding the nature of the instrument: it has to be a treaty. No one seems to be talking about a soft recommendation for broadcasters!

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US July 18, 2012 Intervention at WIPO SCCR 24 on Broadcasters’ Rights

Below is the statement that Shira Perlmutter of USPTO delivered for the US government on July 18, 2012, at the WIPO SCCR 24 meeting in Geneva. As noted in the statement, the United States is calling for a “single text.” The nature of the instrument is “a treaty.” The U.S. wants the treaty to cover the “signal” without a set term (some earlier proposals had called for 20 to 50 years of protection). The treaty would protect “traditional” broadcasters, defined as over the air, satellite and cable broadcasting. Continue Reading

SCCR24: Plenary statement of Brazil urging WIPO to advance its negotations on a Treaty for the Visually Impaired (19 July 2012)

This statement was delivered by Brazil on 19 July 2012 in the plenary of the 24th session of the WIPO Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR). In this statement, Brazil stressed that negotiations on a Treaty for Visually Impaired Persons not be linked to discussions on a treaty for the protection of broadcasting organizations.

Mr Chairman,

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Quick Notes from NGOs intervention from the floor during SCCR24

WBU: we look forward to the revision tomorrow and we will study carefully. We see ourselves as technical advisors and we are available today and tomorrow for consultation.

STM (publishers); we have been supportive. But framework should not undermine publishers ambition….a legal instrument should be limited where there is no existing …it has to be limited to the essential. Should also be mindful to respect flexibilities. Authorized entities can be trusted By all stakeholders. that could be provided if operationaly prepared and ….

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