What They Said About Libraries: Quotes from Member States at the 37th Meeting of the SCCR, WIPO

IFLA attended the 37th meeting of the World Intellectual Property Organization’s Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR). This is the primary international forum for governments to discuss copyright, and in particular limitations and exceptions to copyright for libraries. It is a place where major change is possible. Among other things, WIPO has the competence to adopt international instruments, and the Marrakesh Treaty is the most recent example with an impact on the work of libraries. At SCCR/37, libraries were firmly on the agenda. Following the adoption of action plans at the previous session, the meeting focused on proposed studies examining how copyright laws affect the work of libraries, archives, museums, and educational and research institutions. Member States underlined their support for the work of libraries, and Professor Kenneth Crews presented plans to develop a typology of copyright exceptions. This promises to be a powerful resource for library advocacy around the world. In parallel, IFLA engaged closely with delegates to encourage them to use upcoming regional meetings, another element of the agreed action plans, effectively. These meetings will offer an opportunity to hear the experiences of librarians on the ground who have to deal with uneven, and often outdated copyright laws. As a follow-up, IFLA released a list of quotes of what Member States said about libraries.