South Centre Statement to the Sixty-Fifth Series of Meetings of the Assemblies of the Member States of WIPO (2024)
10 July 2024
At the WIPO Assemblies 2024, the South Centre calls for rapid adherence to the WIPO Treaty on IP, Genetic Resources & Associated Traditional Knowledge, for the revision in this regard of the Patent Cooperation Treaty, for advancing the agenda on copyright L&Es and for upholding the WIPO Development Agenda.
Unlocking the Potential of Copyright Limitations and Exceptions (L&Es)
by Faith O. Majekolagbe
Copyright limitations and exceptions (L&Es) are vital tools for creativity, innovation, access to knowledge and education, and human capital formation. All of these are crucial to the development of societies and achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A strong system of well-defined copyright L&Es guarantees the public adequate access and use of the cultural goods and knowledge that are critical to achieving development goals. This paper identifies and discusses specific clusters of L&Es that are essential for achieving the SDGs. These clusters should be recognized and implemented in copyright laws at national, regional, and international levels to strengthen development objectives. Instead of applying specific L&Es to all countries, regardless of their unique developmental needs, recognizing these clusters of L&Es could help design an approach to international copyright law that is centred around development. Ultimately, this approach would provide greater flexibility in designing development programs that align with the SDGs and recognize copyright law’s inherent development rationale.
Course for Judges on copyright and access to knowledge in the age of artificial intelligence (AI)
“Copyrights and Access to Knowledge in the Age of Artificial Intelligence”
Co-organized by the South Centre (SC) and Thailand’s Court of Appeals for Specialized Cases
23 August 2023
South Centre Statement to the 64th WIPO General Assembly (2023)
The South Centre, the intergovernmental organization of developing countries, actively promotes balancing public and private interests in the IP system. In accordance with the mandate of the 2007 Development Agenda (DA) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which WIPO as a UN specialized agency must contribute to, development, sustainability and human rights should be at the core of WIPO’s activities. WIPO should remain a Member State-driven, development-oriented organization.
The South Centre remains available to all developing countries’ delegations to provide further information and support on these matters, during and after the Assemblies.
Broadcasting treaty – South Centre statement at SCCR 43
“We note with concern that the proposed text expands beyond the agreed mandate, under the approach of expanding exclusive rights to broadcasters with narrow limitations and exceptions (L&Es)…”
South Centre General Statement on L&Es to SCCR 43
13-17 March 2023
The copyright system must be truly balanced. It means it should enable public interest purposes, particularly access to knowledge and education, a fair reward for creators, and real incentives – and not barriers – for creativity and research…
South Centre Supports Debates on Developments in Copyright Law and Access to Knowledge in Africa
By Vitor Ido
A conference “A Right to Research in Africa? A Week of Debates on Copyright and Access to Knowledge” took place on 23-27 January 2023 at the University of Pretoria and the University of Cape Town, South Africa. The gathering of scholars, artists, librarians, researchers and government officials had the objective to discuss the evolution of copyright law and the role of limitations and exceptions (L&Es) to advance research in Africa. The week of debates was co-organized by the South Centre, ReCreate South Africa, Program on Information Justice and Intellectual Property (PIJIP) – American University Washington College of Law, Electronic Information for Libraries (EIFL), the University of Pretoria – Future Africa, the University of Cape Town – IP Unit, the Centre for Intellectual Property and Information Technology Law (CIPIT) – Strathmore University, Wikimedia Foundation and Masakhane.
A Right to Research in Africa?
A Week of Events on Copyright and Access to Knowledge in South Africa
The Program on Information Justice and Intellectual Property of the American University Washington College of Law (PIJIP) is co-organizing a week of debates on copyright and access to knowledge in South Africa the week of January 23rd, with a coalition of three university groups and four civil society organizations.
South Centre – African Union Workshop on WIPO Issues
13-14 December 2022 at the Montreux Room – Centre de Conférences de Varembé (CCV), Geneva
In light of the Recommendations of the AU/AG workshop of December 2019 and the latest developments at SCCR/42, the African Group Coordinator, the South Centre and the African Union Permanent Mission in Geneva proposed a preparatory coordination workshop.
The workshop is co-organized by the South Centre, the African Union Permanent Representation in Geneva and the Permanent Mission of Algeria in Geneva (Coordinator of the African Group for WIPO issues).
Statement by the South Centre to the 2022 Assemblies of the Member States of WIPO
The South Centre is the intergovernmental organization of developing countries based in Geneva that supports developing countries’ efforts to build up a fair and inclusive multilateral system conducive to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We are of the view that a central objective of World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) as part of the United Nations (UN) UN system should be to support the achievement of such goals through the promotion of a balanced international intellectual property (IP) system that reflects the interests of countries at different levels of economic and technological development, and in line with the WIPO Development Agenda.
DATA FOR DEVELOPMENT: HOW TO LEGALLY CHARACTERIZE DATA?
SOUTH CENTRE’S CONTRIBUTION TO THE eTRADE FOR ALL LEADERSHIP DIALOGUE OF THE UNCTAD eCOMMERCE WEEK 2022
Radical technological changes have always challenged pre-existing legal frameworks as demonstrated, for instance, by the commercialization of computer software independently from hardware and the use of genetic information to develop biotechnological innovations in various areas such as health and agriculture. The emergence of big data is a new and outstanding example of such situations. With the growing digitalization of multiple activities, ranging from education and health to ‘smart farming’ and the supply of the most diverse goods, the production and storage of data have exploded. Individuals, businesses and governments are generating an immense amount of data and this will only continue to grow in the future. Yet, the legal characterization of data is still a matter of considerable divergencies and debate. Policy makers and scholars are still searching for legal approaches suitable to address the complex relationships among producers, processors, controllers and users of data…
South Centre/KEI/PIJIP Workshop on the L&E work programme and the WIPO broadcasting treaty
27 April 2022, 14:00-16:00 CEST
On Wednesday, 27 April 2022 from 14:00 CEST to 16:00 CEST, the South Centre, Knowledge Ecology International (KEI), and the Washington College of Law’s Program on Information Justice and Intellectual Property (PIJIP) will convene a workshop to prepare for the 42nd session of WIPO’s Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights. The workshop will address two themes: 1) Proposal by the African Group for a work programme on exceptions and limitations and 2) Appraising proposals for a WIPO broadcasting treaty in 2022 and its implications on access to culture and knowledge.
