A proposal for an international treaty on the protection of broadcasting organizations was one of the main topics on the recent agenda of the Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR) at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). In June 2007, after nine years of discussion, a special session of the Committee decided against advancing to the final stages of negotiation, a diplomatic conference, because there was insufficient agreement between Member States.

The international library community supports this decision because it was felt that the treaty, as framed, went beyond what was necessary to protect against signal theft. In introducing a new economic right on top of copyright, it failed to adaquately address public interest concerns including access to public domain and copyrighted content.

Second Special Session [on the draft broadcast treaty], 18-22 June 2007
Meeting documents
Reject the broadcast treaty. Joint NGO statement. English / French / Russian
Joint eIFL/IFLA statement
Collection of NGO statements, news and analysis

First Special Session [on the draft broadcast treaty], 17-19 January 2007
Meeting documents
Joint eIFL/IFLA statements on limitations & exceptions for libraries
Oral intervention Written statement

Fifteenth session, 11-13 September 2006
Meeting documents
Joint NGO/industry statement on the draft broadcast treaty

Fourteenth session, 1-5 May 2006
Meeting documents
Joint eIFL/IFLA statements on the draft broadcast treaty
Oral intervention  Written statement

Thirteenth session, 21-23 November 2005
Meeting documents
Joint eIFL/IFLA statements on limitations and exceptions and the draft broadcast treaty