[A2k] WIPO-CDIP/2 - Opening statement by IFLA

[Barbara Stratton]

IFLA is represented at the WIPO CDIP/2 meeting by my colleague Victoria Owe=
n, Head Librarian of the University of Toronto at Scarborough. Her opening =
statement for IFLA is below.

Barbara Stratton
Senior Policy Adviser
CILIP: the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, UK


Committee on Copyright and other Legal Matters (CLM)

Statement by IFLA

The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA=
)

Committee on Development and Intellectual Property (CDIP)
Second Session, Geneva
July 7-11, 2008

Mr Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to address this committee. I am =
speaking on behalf of International Federation of Library Associations, a n=
ot-for-profit public interest membership based organisation. Since 1927 IFL=
A has represented the world's major libraries and library associations and =
through its 1700 member organisations in 150 countries it speaks for hundre=
ds of thousands of professional librarians around the world.

IFLA remains hopeful that the full realization of the promise of the Develo=
pment Agenda as it pertains to the public interest and access provisions of=
 libraries will be addressed and reflected in WIPO's implementation activit=
ies.  We support a true balance between the rights of owners and users of i=
ntellectual property. IFLA considers libraries to be stakeholders in all in=
tellectual property regimes and provides a direct link to the user communit=
y. We speak in the public interest, on their behalf. By its continued prese=
nce at WIPO meetings, IFLA is vested in change and to that end we offer our=
 expertise to support the activities of the Development Agenda.

Specifically, with recommendation 8, IFLA recognizes the connection between=
 research institutions, as members of its constituency, and the development=
 of specialized access to patent databases. The librarians working in scien=
ce and engineering faculties are experts in patent searching and instructio=
n, making them potential partners and consultants for WIPO and the implemen=
tation of the Development Agenda and IFLA offers its assistance for the ach=
ievement of recommendation 8.

With regards to recommendation 10, IFLA fully supports the promotion of a f=
air balance between IP protection and the public interest. We offer librari=
es to be named under 'proposed activities' as relevant institutions in teac=
hing and training of IP at universities and other institutions, and we offe=
r libraries to be listed along with similar institutions 1) to create local=
 awareness and training materials and 2) in human resource and capacity dev=
elopment.

IFLA expresses caution with recommendations 27 and 28 regarding the impleme=
ntation of intellectual property related aspects of ICT.  Intellectual prop=
erty is part of a complex and nuanced national social and cultural policy w=
hich allows for different levels of access for a variety of purposes. ICT m=
ust be developed to accommodate the complexity of a nuanced national inform=
ation policy in order to function with intellectual property. On/off digita=
l technology can eliminate the balance sought after by the proposals outlin=
ed in the Development agenda.

Thank you, Mr Chairman for the opportunity to address this committee.

Contact:

Victoria Owen (IFLA): owen AT utsc. utoronto. ca