Last week, EVA participated in the 43rd session of the WIPO Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights.
Several topics of relevance to EVA were debated during the week of discussions attended by national delegations, IGOs and NGOs from all over the world.
Whereas the first part of the SCCR was dedicated to the “Protection of broadcasting organisations”, the second part focused on the issue of “Limitations and Exceptions”. EVA Secretary General Carola Streul intervened with a statement expressing the raising concerns of authors with regard to the “Text and Data Mining exception” of the Copyright Directive, which could apply in a disproportionate manner. She also reiterated the need to prevent further expansion of limitations and exceptions so as to preserve authors’ copyright as much as possible.
EVA also had the opportunity to submit a statement on the crucial topic of Resale Right, which is fundamental to ensure that not only art market professionals but also authors can benefit from the rise in the value of their works and their reselling. A first step in this direction is the elaboration of the “Toolkit on Artist’s Resale Right”, presented by Professor Sam Ricketson, aiming at facilitating the adoption of ARR national schemes towards a universal application of the right. The African delegation particularly stressed the importance of harmonising visual artists’ rights around the world, which could benefit not only artists but also the art market which would gain in creativity, efficiency, and transparency. At the initiative of Senegal and Congo, several delegations, including EVA’s member ADAGP and the European Commission, reaffirmed the need to make Resale Right a permanent item on the agenda of the next SCCRs.
Furthermore, Public Lending Right for authors of text and images found in books lent by public libraries was discussed, in particular as concerns to the information collection model created in the UK and applied in the EU.
