From 19^th to 22^nd May, at World Intellectual Property Organization – WIPO’s 48^th session of the Standing Committee on Copyright and related Rights (SCCR), the European Writers’ Council was represented by Secretary General Nicole Pfister Fetz on site in Geneva and remotely by Commissioner for Political Affairs Nina George. For the EWC the main topics of this session were the standing items on Limitations and Exceptions for libraries and archives and for educational and research institutions and for persons with other disabilities, and on Copyright in the digital environment.

In these critical times it was more important than ever to raise the voice with regard to increasing pressure on human authors and the exploitation of their works. Member States ask for more limitations and exceptions while shortening budgets nurturing education and culture. Big tech is yet another test of resilience, on the one hand promising global free access to research without respecting authors’ rights, enchanting cultural heritage and educational institutions that without authors and books, no libraries or archives.

Therefore, it was crucial that the EWC could take the floor several times in this WIPO week to give the book authors the needed voice against further extensions of Limitations and Exceptions in general; about the “WIPO Toolkit on Access to Copyrighted Works in the Collections of Cultural Heritage Institutions: Libraries, Archives and Museums” which massively lacks of balance between authors’ rights and CHIs, and reminded member States that enforcing existing copyright in the digital environment is key, instead of even more disadvantages like the European TDM exception posed on writers.

Writers, Publishers, Booksellers, Libraries, Archives and Museums are all part of an interacting ecosystem. However, special attention needs to be drawn to the originators of this ecosystem and its knowledge chain: to Authors. We are aware of the challenges of Cultural Heritage Institutions. But talking on Limitations and Exceptions, do not forget that they are undermining the core principle of “every use must be remunerated.”

In principle the EWC welcome the proposal for a new “Creative Industries and Economic Growth Compilation Study”, as it would clarify the meaning of authors and their works for economy, society, culture or democratic processes. And indeed, the last similar assessments by WIPO are from an era before smartphones, tablets  and AI […] The whole EWC statement

About digital environment: It is not copyright that needs adjusted: it is its enforcement in the digital environment. Read the whole statement by EWC on Copyright in digital environment.

About the WIPO Toolkit on Access to Copyrighted Works: The European Writers’ Council (EWC)Works in the Collections of Cultural Heritage Institutions: Libraries, Archives and Museums (SCCR/48/5) which would reflect the non-normative form a WIPO toolkit should be. Read the whole EWC Statement on the Access Toolkit.

We are aware of the challenges of Cultural Heritage Institutions. But talking on Limitations and Exceptions, do not forget that they are undermining the core principle of “every use must be remunerated”. Read the whole EWC statement on limitations and exceptions. 

EWC Secretary General took also part at different side event, on licensing, organised by IFRRO, another by International Publishers Association – IPA, which shed light onto good practices. Several informal meeting with colleagues from sibling organisations, representatives from Member States and of WIPO were great opportunities to exchange on authors’ burning issues and other copyright related issues.