Next week discussions regarding an international framework on copyright exceptions and limitations for libraries and archives will recommence once again at the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) in Geneva, Switzerland.

At the 27th meeting of the WIPO Standing Committee on Copyright & Related Rights (SCCR), two days will be devoted to discussion of copyright exceptions and limitations, including for libraries and archives. A large contingent of library and archive organisations will attend the discussions, including IFLA, EIFL, the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP), the Association of European Research Libraries (LIBER), the Australian Library & Information Association (ALIA), the Scottish Council on Archives (SCA), Karisma Foundation (Colombia), Society of American Archivists (SAA), and the International Council of Archives (ICA). To find out more about the SCCR negotiations and why they are important for libraries and archives, read this statement put out by several delegations in December 2013.

On Friday 2nd May IFLA will host a side event during the discussions titled “Information Without Borders: a global library and archive ecosystem”, looking at ways in which libraries and archives are collaborating across borders on research and innovation activities, digitization initiatives and preservation projects, and the copyright and licensing challenges they face. Speakers will include Dr. Paul Ayris, President of LIBER and Director of Library Services, University College London; Professor Ronan Deazley, from University of Glasgow and Scottish Council on Archives; Trish Hepworth, Copyright Adviser for the Australian Libraries Copyright Committee and representative of the Australian Library & Information Association (ALIA); Barbara Szczepańska, Poznan Foundation of Scientific Libraries and representative of EIFL; and Dr. Manon Ress, Director of Information Society Projects at Knowledge Ecology International.

During the 27th meeting, you’ll be able to follow all of the updates and communications from library and archive delegations.  Interventions made by IFLA during the discussions will continue to be posted to the IFLA website.

Follow the discussions on social media using the hash tag #SCCR27.