Stay up to date with our latest developments, initiatives, and new resources!
IFLA took part in the second session of the conversation on Intellectual Property and Artificial Intelligence organised by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) on 7-9 July 2020.
There has been disappointing news from Mexico, where recent copyright legislation risks making access to information significantly harder, while also undermining the role of the judiciary and lawmakers. Local libraries and other actors are calling for a constitutional review.
Following years of advocacy in favour of long-overdue copyright reforms, libraries in South Africa will need to wait a while longer for change. Following pressure from foreign governments, the Parliament will now have to reconsider the Copyright Amendment Bill.
IFLA has signed onto the Statement by the International Coalition of Library Consortia on the global COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on library services and resources. To further support members, IFLA's Advisory Committee on Copyright and other Legal Matters has produced principles for use in negotiation with rightholders.
With this year's World Intellectual Property Day focusing on innovation for a green future, IFLA and its partners have come together to call on governments and the World Intellectual Property Organization not to forget the past. An open letter calling for action to ensure that intellectual property laws do not stand in the way of preservation of heritage faced with climate change already has 155 organisational and institutional co-signatories, and 55 individuals. The letter is still open for signatories.
Faced with the urgent need to combat the COVID-19 Pandemic and its consequences, it is vital to ensure that intellectual property laws and practices do not become a blockage. IFLA, working with its partners, has led in drafting an open letter - already signed by over 140 organisations and individuals - to the Director General of WIPO to underline this point and call for action.
The UN agency that manages the global intellectual property system – including copyright – has nominated a new Director General. As the current Chair of the organisation’s copyright committee – and as a modernising reformer nationally – he will bring a strong awareness of the needs of libraries to the role.
This week, the Coordinating Committee of the World Intellectual Property Organization meets to take a provisional decision on a new Director General. Getting the right candidate could provide helpful support for libraries and wider efforts to promote access to information in support of development.
IFLA has shared its comments on a draft issues paper prepared by the World Intellectual Property Organisation about artificial intelligence. These look to ensure that the case for copyright exceptions, the need for preservation, and the broader impact of new rights are all taken into account.
IFLA has joined with over 40 civil society organisations across Europe in calling for the sharing of draft guidelines on the implementation of the controversial upload filter provisions in the Copyright Directive.
Efforts to use trade measures to delay or block long-overdue copyright reforms which will benefit libraries and their users are regrettable. In its comment to a review of South Africa’s enjoyment of preferential trade rules with the United States, IFLA has therefore called for the rejection of a petition seeking to punish the country for taking steps to improve how copyright functions.
In June 2019, the European Union’s new Copyright Directive entered into force. Member States must implement this Directive into their national laws by 7 June 2021. In many, the process is underway - libraries should be involved!
The 39th meeting of the World Intellectual Property Organisation’s Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights saw the shape of a possible agreement on preservation emerge, but also continued opposition from countries denying the reality of cross-border collaboration between libraries.
A lot of advocacy work focuses on trying to change laws in order to improve the situation for libraries. However, there can be alterantives to legal reform as a recent example from Australia shows. IFLA interviewed Sue McKerracher, CEO of the Australian Library and Information Association to find out more.
Since the adoption of the Marrakesh Treaty, IFLA has been monitoring how countries make it a reality. Today we publish the fourth update of the Marrakesh Monitoring Report, which looks into countries that have signed or ratified the Treaty since January 2019 and the way they are implementing it nationally.
African countries have very different copyright laws, all at various stages of development and/or review. Some countries have very outdated copyright laws, whilst others have amended their copyright laws more recently, or are in the process of reviewing them, for example, Kenya and South Africa. IFLA and partner organisations advocated for adequate and balanced copyright laws for libraries, archives, museums, research and education at the WIPO regional seminar for the African region.
On 17 May 2019, after several years of discussion, the European Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market was published in the official journal of the European Union. It enters into force on 20 June 2019, which marks the beginning of a two-year period for member states to change their laws in order to meet the objectives of the directive.
The Spanish government recently implemented two European directives: the Marrakesh Directive, and the Collective Management Directive. The bill that transposed these two pieces of legislation came with unexpected proposals on the topic of public lending rights. The chair of the copyright group at the Spanish Library Association (FESABID) tells us about the recent changes:
We had a chat with Wend Wendland, Director of the WIPO Traditional Knowledge Division, to find out more both about the division and the WIPO Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore’s work plan.
The Council of the European Union has now also adopted the European Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market. After the entry into force of the text in a few weeks, a period of national implementation will start. IFLA, alongside partner organisations, will now engage with members at the national level to get the best outcome for libraries.