The WIPO Treaties: Top Priority for Copyright Owners

IFPI has welcomed the coming into force of the WIPO Phonograms and Performances Treaty and WIPO Copyright Treaty which create the first global system of copyright protection for record companies in the digital era.

The WPPT and its sister Treaty the WIPO Copyright Treaty are the most important update of international copyright rules in more than 30 years. They give record companies tools to fight piracy on the internet, and they provide the first ever global system of exclusive rights that are a pre-requisite for producers to distribute music online.

Honduras was the 30th country to accede to the WPPT on February 20th, thereby triggering the Treaty's entry into force three months later. The WIPO Treaties were signed by more than 60 countries at the Diplomatic Conference in Geneva in December 1996. Thirty ratifications are necessary to bring each Treaty into force. The WCT hit that landmark in December and entered into force on March 6.

These treaties are tremendously important to all copyright and related-rights owners. They

• Provide the incentives for creation and dissemination of creative products
• Promote national culture
• Discourage counterfeiting and piracy
• Provide the required legal environment for e-commerce in copyright products to develop

The attached papers provide an overview of the contents and benefits of these treaties. They also examine individual elements of the treaties in further detail, and provide model legislation for treaty implementation. Click on the respective links for the following papers:

WIPO Treaty Ratification / Deposit Status (February 24 2004)

The WIPO Treaties - Introduction
Reproduction Right
Communication Right
Technical Measures
Rights Management Information