Geneva, Switzerland
15-24 June 2011

The World Intellectual Property Organization’s 22nd Session of the Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR) was held from 15-24 June 2011. A large library delegation was in attendance during the extended meeting, and IFLA was represented by Winston Tabb, Victoria Owen, Barbara Stratton and Stuart Hamilton. The international library community was also represented by eIFL (Teresa Hackett, Barbara Szczepanska, Iryna Kuchma), Corporacion Innovarte (Luis Villaroel), and the Library Copyright Alliance (Lori Driscoll).

At the conclusion of the 21st session of the SCCR in November 2010 a work plan was agreed for 2011/12 concerning copyright exceptions and limitations for persons with print and other reading disabilities; libraries and archives; and educational teaching and research institutions. The following SCCR sessions (22, 23, and 24) were allocated an extra three days each for "text-based work on appropriate exceptions and limitations" in these areas.

The 22nd session therefore concentrated on exceptions and limitations for persons with print and other reading disabilities. Significant progress was made during the meeting on this issue, as four separate proposals on the table were condensed into a Chair’s text for an international instrument on limitations and exceptions for persons with print disabilities. This document will constitute the basis for future text-based work to be undertaken by the Committee in its 23rd session. Furthermore, the Committee agreed to recommend to the WIPO General Assembly in September that discussions continue regarding this document with an aim of agreeing and finalising a proposal on an international instrument on limitations and exceptions for persons with print disabilities in the 23rd session of the SCCR. IFLA welcomes the progress in this area and will continue to work with the World Blind Union in support of an international legal instrument as quickly as possible.

During SCCR 22, library representatives continued to advocate for copyright exceptions for libraries and archives, and to engage with Member State representatives in preparation for the 23rd SCCR in November.  As part of this preparation, IFLA, EIFL, the International Council on Archives and other library groups prepared and distributed a draft treaty on Copyright Exceptions and Limitations for Libraries and Archives to inform discussions in November and lead to international action that will benefit libraries and archives worldwide. IFLA President Ellen Tise also co-hosted a reception with Trevor Clarke, WIPO Assistant Director General for the Culture and Creative Industries Sector, where she noted the importance of creating a better copyright framework for libraries, archives and their users. Mr. Clarke is a plenary speaker at the IFLA Congress in Puerto Rico in August, where he will address some of the copyright issues that libraries are facing, and what WIPO can do to help tackle them.

IFLA & other library groups made the following statements during SCCR 22:

The conclusions of the session can be found here.

The 23rd session, dealing with exceptions and limitations for libraries and archives, takes place in Geneva November 21-28, 2011.