WIPO Copyright Treaty

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**WIPO Copyright Treaty**
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The WIPO Copyright Treaty was concluded on 20 December 1996 in Geneva. It entered into force in March 2002.

**Background and Relationship to Other Treaties**

The treaty is an international agreement that provides additional protection for intellectual property rights, particularly in the context of copyright law. While it is not a direct extension of the Bern Convention Act 1971 (Paris), contracting parties must comply with its substantive provisions, even if they are not bound by the Bern Convention.

**Protected Works**

The treaty protects two types of works:

1. **Computer Programs**: Regardless of their form or expression, computer programs are considered intellectual creations and are protected under copyright law.
2. **Databases**: Data or other materials that constitute intellectual creations due to the selection or arrangement of their content are also protected.

**Exclusive Rights**

The treaty deals with three exclusive rights:

1. **Right of Distribution**: The right to distribute copyrighted works is an exclusive right, subject to certain limitations and exceptions.
2. **Right to Rent**: The right to rent copyrighted works is another exclusive right, which may have different terms under the treaty compared to the Berne Convention (Article 4).
3. **Right of Communication to the Public**: This right allows authors to control how their works are communicated to the public.

**Technological Measures**

The treaty requires contracting parties to provide legal remedies against the annulment of technological measures used by authors to protect their rights, such as encryption or digital watermarking (Article 11).

**Implementation and Ratification**

As of December 2014, 93 countries had ratified the agreement. The treaty aims to address the challenges posed by advancements in information technology and provide a framework for protecting intellectual property rights in the digital age.

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