[Ecommerce] For WIPO it's a Diplomatic Conference, no matter what member states keep saying?

[Manon Ress]

WIPO Press Release
http://www.wipo.int/edocs/prdocs/en/2006/wipo_pr_2006_460.html

Geneva, October 2, 2006
GENERAL ASSEMBLY APPROVES CONVENING OF DIPLOMATIC CONFERENCE ON THE
PROTECTION OF BROADCASTING ORGANIZATIONS

In a move that signals entry into the final phase of treaty
negotiations, the General Assembly of the World Intellectual Property
Organization (WIPO) agreed today to convene a diplomatic conference
from November 19 to December 7, 2007 to update the rights of
broadcasting organizations. The objective of this diplomatic
conference is to conclude a treaty on the protection of broadcasting
organizations, including cablecasting organizations.

The General Assembly decision lays out a roadmap for the last leg of
negotiations. Two special sessions of the Standing Committee on
Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR), the forum where formal
negotiations have taken place, will be held "to clarify the
outstanding issues." The General Assembly decision says that "the
sessions of the SCCR should aim to agree and finalize, on a signal-
based approach, the objectives, specific scope and object of
protection." The SCCR sessions will be held in January and June 2007.

The General Assembly decision was taken on the basis of a
recommendation made by the SCCR last month. The General Assembly also
decided to convene a preparatory committee to prepare the necessary
modalities of the diplomatic conference - draft rules of procedure to
be presented for adoption to the diplomatic conference, the lists of
states, as well as intergovernmental and non-governmental
organizations to be invited to participate in the conference as well
as other organizational matters =96in conjunction with the second
meeting of the SCCR in June 2007.

Currently the Revised Basic Proposal (document SCCR/15/2) constitutes
the Basic Proposal for the diplomatic conference. That said, the
General Assembly decision states that the two meetings of the SCCR
can bring agreed amendments to document SCCR/15/2. The General
Assembly decided that the diplomatic conference will be convened "if
such agreement is achieved," noting "if no such agreement is
achieved, all further discussions will be based on Document SCCR/15/2."

It was also agreed that WIPO would organize, at the request of member
states, consultations and information meetings on matters relating to
the diplomatic conference. Such meetings would be hosted by the
inviting member state.

The discussions are confined to the protection of traditional
broadcasting organizations and cablecasting. This followed a decision
by the 14th session of the SCCR from 1 to 5 May, 2006, to examine
questions of webcasting and simulcasting on a separate track
following the current meeting of the WIPO Assemblies (25 September to
3 October, 2006).

Updating the IP rights of broadcasters, currently provided by the
1961 Rome Convention on the Protection of Performers, Producers of
Phonograms and Broadcasting Organizations, began at WIPO in 1997. A
growing signal piracy problem in many parts of the world, including
piracy of digitized pre-broadcast signals, has made this need more
acute.

For further information, please contact the Media Relations and
Public Affairs Section at WIPO:

     * Tel: (+41 22) 338 81 61 or (+41 22) 338 95 47;
     * E-mail: publicinf@wipo.int
     * Fax: (+41 22) 338 82 80.


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Manon Anne Ress
manon.ress@cptech.org,
www.cptech.org

Consumer Project on Technology
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Tel: +41 22 791 6727

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