UN official welcomes European Union approval of Internet copyright treaties

The head of the United Nations agency tasked with safeguarding intellectual property rights today welcomed the European Union’s ratification of the so-called Internet Treaties.

Noting that the EU plays a leading role in promoting use of the Internet and in developing on-line content, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Director General Francis Gurry said the step would positively influence the growth of creativity within the digital environment in Europe and beyond.

All 27 EU Member States have now implemented the European directive incorporating the WIPO Copyright Treaty (WCT) and the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty (WPPT), which establish the basic standards of protection for copyright and related rights of digital material.

In 2000, the EU and its members took the formal decision to ratify the WIPO Internet treaties, bringing the number of signatories for the WCT to 88 and 76 for the WPPT.

The treaties update the legal principles underpinning international copyright protection and the rights of performers and phonogram producers on the Internet and other digital networks.