Last week, EVA Secretary General Carola Streul was in Geneva for the 45th session of the WIPO Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights to advocate for artists’ rights worldwide.
The EVA secretariat submitted two statements on exceptions and limitations, one on cross-border uses for research and educational purposes, and the other one on libraries and archives education and research.
The Collective Management Organisations (CMOs) members of EVA recognize the vital importance of facilitating access to knowledge and educational resources, including visual works. Nonetheless, this must not come at the expense of artists who already live in precarity, whereas they would need regular income streams to sustain their work. CMOs offer tailored licenses to users, ensuring that authors receive fair compensation, without hindering scientific progress. Additionally, they adhere to international copyright laws, including the three-step test outlined in the Berne Convention.
The statements also emphasise that raising societal awareness of artists’ rights could increase governmental investments and support for their work. The financial implications of artists’ work are often neglected, resulting in the undervaluation of their dedicated and skilled work and a subsequent disregard for copyright protection. Therefore, it is imperative to raise awareness about the importance of copyright, as it ultimately enables artists to maintain decent living and working conditions and establishes a framework for pensions and social protection.
Please find below the links to the two statements:
