2nd Special Session of the WIPO Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Righ

 

2nd Special Session of the WIPO Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights, Geneva, 18 - 22 June 2007

The WIPO Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR) convened its Second Special Session in Geneva from 18 - 22 June 2007.? In accordance with the mandate of the General Assembly given in October 2006, the objective of the Second Special Session was to "agree and finalize, on a signal-based approach, the objectives, specific scope and object of protection with a view to submitting to the diplomatic conference a revised basic proposal, which will amend the agreed relevant parts of the Revised Draft Basic Proposal (document SCCR 15/2)".? The General Assembly had stated that "the Diplomatic Conference will be convened if such agreement is achieved.? If no such agreement is achieved, all further discussions will be based on document SCCR/15/2."

The Singapore delegation comprised:

Mr. Ang I-Ming (Director / Legal Counsel, LP-IAD, IPOS); Ms. Elaine Leong Siew Fong (Senior Asst Director / Legal Counsel, LP-IAD, IPOS); Mr. Lim Teck Hong (Assistant Manager, Market Policy, MDA); and Ms. Koong Pai Ching (First Secretary of the Permanent Mission of Singapore to the UN in Geneva).

The discussions at the informal plenary did not result in consensus on the terms of a document to be used as a basic proposal for a Diplomatic Conference in 2007.

On the last day of the meeting, the Chairman circulated a draft statement of conclusions for the delegations to consider in their regional groups.? In the Asian Group deliberations, Singapore contributed actively to the re-drafting and made the point that in the absence of alignment on key principles, it would be premature to make mention of any move to a Diplomatic Conference.? The member states of the Asian Group agreed with this.

Consequently, the Asian Group suggested amending the draft statement of conclusions to state that the subject of protection of broadcasting organizations and cablecasting organizations be retained in the agenda of the SCCR for its regular sessions and that the convening of a Diplomatic Conference should only take place after there is agreement on the objectives, specific scope and object of protection as mandated by the General Assembly in its 2006 session.

The amendments proposed to the statement of conclusions by the Asian Group were adopted by the Committee.