WIPO SCCR 46: "It is essential to protect human authors and the free word" – EWC on the PLR Scoping Study - EWC

WIPO SCCR 46: “It is essential to protect human authors and the free word” – EWC on the PLR Scoping Study

9th April 2025

In April 2025 the SCCR meeting of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) took place. On that occasion the Secretary General of the European Writers‘ Council (EWC), Nicole Pfister Fetz, commented on the presented and revised Scoping Study on Public Lending Right, prepared by S. Richly, Lawyer for Media Right.

SCCR 46, WIPO, 10th of April 2025, Nicole Pfister Fetz on the PLR Scoping Study. © EVARTISTS

The European Writers’ Council welcomes Sabine Richly’s practical proposal for countries with PLR, to examine and improve their system where applicable, such as IT supported lending statistics, or the economic impact of lending on the primary market, to adjust appropriate funding to libraries.

In this time of polycrises and AI-driven disruptions on societies, it is essential to protect human authors and the free word, to be able to trust in human creation and to foster humans unique power of innovation. It is on us all today, to equip generations with skills of freethinking and imagination. PLR-supported libraries, together with authors, provide exactly these skills.

As the Study is not meant as legal instrument, we hope, that follow-up activities include capacity building in collaboration with experienced advisory pools.

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Background

For the 45th Session of the Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR 45) in Geneva, April 15 to 19, 2024, the SCOPING STUDY ON PUBLIC LENDING RIGHT, prepared by Sabine Richly, MBA, LL.M, was presented and discussed. The EWC had constantly supported the corresponding proposal for a WIPO Scoping PLR Study by the Republics of Sierra Leone, Panama, and Malawi.

The in 2024 presented scoping study by Sabine Richly (Digital Media Law) for the WIPO SCCR 45 offers a comparative analysis of PLR systems across different countries, with the goal to spot similarities, differences, and best practices within these global systems. The EWC – its Secretary-General Nicole Pfister Fetz, and Nina George, Commissioner for Political Affairs – was honoured to provide perspectives and insights from the writers’ views and monitorings on PLR, along with Arjen Polman of PLR International, Carola Streul (EVA), Anne Bergman-Tahon (FEP), Christina de Castell, (IFLA) and Anita Huss (IFRRO).

In 2025 at the SCCR 46, a revised document of the PLR Scoping Study was presented by Ms. Richly, together with additional revised Annexes (to be found COUNTRIES WITH PROVISIONS FOR LENDING (WITHOUT AN ACTIVE PLR SYSTEM) here and ANNEX: REPORTS OF COUNTRIES OPERATING AN ACTIVE PLR SYSTEM here).

From the study summary

“The study demonstrates the adaptability of Public Lending Right (in the following: PLR) systems to diverse national cultural goals and economic contexts, as evidenced by the 35 systems currently in operation (“active systems”) and a number of systems in development worldwide. Most of these systems, reflecting a spectrum of policy objectives and national circumstances, exemplify the alignment of PLR with local needs. The establishment of a robust PLR system requires the close cooperation and collaborative efforts among government, library, and rightholder representatives to achieve meaningful compensation without straining library budgets.”

Read the related EWC post.

WIPO SCCR 46: The educational crises cannot be solved via copyright law