7 March 2002
Source:
http://usinfo.state.gov/cgi-bin/washfile/display.pl?p=/products/washfile/latest&f=02030701.clt&t=/products/washfile/newsitem.shtml
US Department of State
International Information Programs
Washington File
_________________________________
07 March 2002
(WIPO pact protects rights of authors in cyberspace) (600) An international treaty negotiated in 1996 to protect authors' copyrights on the Internet came into force March 6. The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Copyright Treaty (WCT) is one of a pair of treaties negotiated by 160 countries to protect against Internet piracy. The second pact, the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty (WPPT), covers sound recordings and will come into force on May 20. The treaties become law three months after they are ratified by 30 countries. Gabon became the 30th country to join the WCT in December 2001. Honduras became the 30th country to join the WPPT on February 20, 2002. Both pacts are designed to bring intellectual property law into the digital age by preventing unauthorized copying or use of work and to ensure the payment of royalties. In a statement, WIPO Director General Kamil Idris emphasized the importance of the new norms provided for in the WCT and the WPPT which, he said, "are vital for the further development of the Internet, electronic commerce and thereby the culture and information industries." The 30 parties to the WCT are: Argentina, Belarus, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Gabon, Georgia, Hungary, Indonesia, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Saint Lucia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine and the United States. Following is the text of the WIPO statement: (begin text) World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Geneva, March 6, 2002 WCT Enters Into Force The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Copyright Treaty (WCT), one of two key treaties that will bring copyright law in line with the digital age, entered into force on March 6, 2002. The second of these so-called "Internet treaties", the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty (WPPT), enters into force on May 20, 2002. The treaties lay down the legal groundwork to safeguard the interests of creators in cyberspace and open new horizons for composers, artists, writers and others to use the Internet with confidence to create, distribute and control the use of their works within the digital environment. The Director General of WIPO, Dr. Kamil Idris, welcomed this important development in the history of copyright law. He emphasized the importance of the new norms provided for in the WCT and the WPPT which, he said, are vital for the further development of the Internet, electronic commerce and thereby the culture and information industries. The treaties were agreed in 1996 and become law three months after they are ratified by 30 states. Gabon became the 30th country to join the WCT last December. Honduras became the 30th state to join the WPPT on February 20, 2002. To be truly effective, the Director General stressed, the treaties must become widely adopted by countries in all regions of the world. "While we have reached the key number of 30 countries required for entry into force, I urge all other countries to follow suit and to incorporate the provisions of the WCT and WPPT into their national legislation. This will create the conditions necessary for the broad-based and legitimate distribution of creative works and recordings on the Internet," he said. For more information about the WCT, please consult PR/300/2001 or contact the Media Relations & Public Affairs Section at WIPO: Tel: +41 22 338 81 61 or 338 95 47; Fax: + 41 22 338 88 10; E-mail: publicinf@wipo.int (end text) (Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
http://www.wipo.int/treaties/documents/english/word/s-wct.doc
20. WIPO Copyright Treaty
(Geneva, 1996)
Status on February 25, 2002
| State | Date on which State became party to the Treaty |
| Argentina | March 6, 2002 |
| Belarus | March 6, 2002 |
| Bulgaria | March 6, 2002 |
| Burkina Faso | March 6, 2002 |
| Chile | March 6, 2002 |
| Colombia | March 6, 2002 |
| Costa Rica | March 6, 2002 |
| Croatia | March 6, 2002 |
| Czech Republic | March 6, 2002 |
| Ecuador | March 6, 2002 |
| El Salvador | March 6, 2002 |
| Gabon | March 6, 2002 |
| Georgia | March 6, 2002 |
| Guinea | May 25, 2002 |
| Honduras | May 20, 2002 |
| Hungary | March 6, 2002 |
| Indonesia | March 6, 2002 |
| Japan | March 6, 2002 |
| Kyrgyzstan | March 6, 2002 |
| Latvia | March 6, 2002 |
| Lithuania | March 6, 2002 |
| Mali | April 24, 2002 |
| Mexico | March 6, 2002 |
| Panama | March 6, 2002 |
| Paraguay | March 6, 2002 |
| Peru | March 6, 2002 |
| Republic of Moldova | March 6, 2002 |
| Romania | March 6, 2002 |
| Saint Lucia | March 6, 2002 |
| Senegal | May 18, 2002 |
| Slovakia | March 6, 2002 |
| Slovenia | March 6, 2002 |
| Ukraine | March 6, 2002 |
| United States of America | March 6, 2002 |
(Total : 34 States)
For text of World Copyright Treaty and agreed statements:
http://www.wipo.int/treaties/ip/copyright/index.html