Gurry urges adoption of copyright treaties

Francis Gurry, director general of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), has urged countries to ratify two new copyright treaties quickly.

In his first address to the WIPO assemblies since his re-election in May, Gurry noted the adoption of the Beijing Treaty on Audiovisual Performances in 2012 and the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons who are Blind, Visually Impaired or Otherwise Print Disabled in 2013.

However, he stressed the need for quick ratifications of these treaties to convert their promise into reality. “I would urge all member states to convert the hard work that went into successfully concluding the treaties into accessions that bring the treaties into force, and which will, in turn, convert the potential of the treaties into realised gains for actors and visually impaired persons, as well as for the multilateral framework governing intellectual property,” he said.

Gurry also urged member states to move forward and complete other “ongoing negotiation tracks”: a proposed design law treaty, broadcasting, and traditional knowledge, traditional cultural expressions and IP in relation to genetic resources.

He said the development of these projects “has been slower in the past 12 months” and urged member states “to use the present session of the assemblies to try to set concrete schedules of work that will guide the organisation towards successful completion of the mature projects.”