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Advanced Copyright Issues on the Internet - Fenwick & West LLP

Advanced Copyright Issues on the Internet - Fenwick & West LLP

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1. The Right of Communicati<strong>on</strong> to <strong>the</strong> Public in <strong>the</strong> WIPO <str<strong>on</strong>g>Copyright</str<strong>on</strong>g>TreatyArticle 8 of <strong>the</strong> WIPO <str<strong>on</strong>g>Copyright</str<strong>on</strong>g> Treaty provides a new right of “communicati<strong>on</strong> to <strong>the</strong>public” as follows:Without prejudice to <strong>the</strong> provisi<strong>on</strong>s of Articles 11(1)(ii), 11bis(1)(i) and (ii),11ter(1)(ii), 14(1)(ii) and 14bis(1) of <strong>the</strong> Berne C<strong>on</strong>venti<strong>on</strong>, authors of literaryand artistic works shall enjoy <strong>the</strong> exclusive right of authorizing anycommunicati<strong>on</strong> to <strong>the</strong> public of <strong>the</strong>ir works, by wire or wireless means, including<strong>the</strong> making available to <strong>the</strong> public of <strong>the</strong>ir works in such a way that members of<strong>the</strong> public may access <strong>the</strong>se works from a place and at a time individually chosenby <strong>the</strong>m.This new extended right of communicati<strong>on</strong> to <strong>the</strong> public is clearly meant to cover <strong>on</strong>linedisseminati<strong>on</strong> of works, and in that sense is broader than <strong>the</strong> existing rights of communicati<strong>on</strong> to<strong>the</strong> public in <strong>the</strong> Berne C<strong>on</strong>venti<strong>on</strong>, which are c<strong>on</strong>fined to performances, broadcasts, andrecitati<strong>on</strong>s of works. Specifically, Article 11(1)(ii) of <strong>the</strong> Berne C<strong>on</strong>venti<strong>on</strong> provides thatauthors of dramatic, dramatico-musical and musical works shall enjoy <strong>the</strong> exclusive right ofauthorizing “any communicati<strong>on</strong> to <strong>the</strong> public of <strong>the</strong> performance of <strong>the</strong>ir works.” Article11bis(1)(ii) provides that authors of literary and artistic works shall enjoy <strong>the</strong> exclusive right ofauthorizing “any communicati<strong>on</strong> to <strong>the</strong> public by wire or by rebroadcasting of <strong>the</strong> broadcast of<strong>the</strong> work, when this communicati<strong>on</strong> is made by an organizati<strong>on</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r than <strong>the</strong> original <strong>on</strong>e.”Finally, Article 11ter(1)(ii) provides that authors of literary works shall enjoy <strong>the</strong> exclusive rightof authorizing “any communicati<strong>on</strong> to <strong>the</strong> public of <strong>the</strong> recitati<strong>on</strong> of <strong>the</strong>ir works.”The new right of communicati<strong>on</strong> to <strong>the</strong> public in <strong>the</strong> WIPO <str<strong>on</strong>g>Copyright</str<strong>on</strong>g> Treaty appears tobe broader than <strong>the</strong> existing rights of reproducti<strong>on</strong>, display, performance, distributi<strong>on</strong>, andimportati<strong>on</strong> under current United States law in <strong>the</strong> following ways:No Requirement of a Copy. The right does not require <strong>the</strong> making or distributi<strong>on</strong> of“copies” of a work. It <strong>the</strong>refore removes <strong>the</strong> potential limitati<strong>on</strong>s <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> rights ofreproducti<strong>on</strong> and distributi<strong>on</strong> under United States law stemming from <strong>the</strong> requirementof a “copy.”Right of Transmissi<strong>on</strong>. It affords <strong>the</strong> exclusive right to c<strong>on</strong>trol any “communicati<strong>on</strong>to <strong>the</strong> public” of a work “by wire or wireless means.” Although “communicati<strong>on</strong>” isnot defined in <strong>the</strong> WIPO <str<strong>on</strong>g>Copyright</str<strong>on</strong>g> Treaty, <strong>the</strong> reference to a communicati<strong>on</strong> “bywire or wireless means” seems clearly applicable to electr<strong>on</strong>ic transmissi<strong>on</strong>s of works(a right of transmissi<strong>on</strong>). This c<strong>on</strong>clusi<strong>on</strong> is bolstered by <strong>the</strong> fact that Article 2(g) of<strong>the</strong> WIPO Performances and Ph<strong>on</strong>ograms Treaty does c<strong>on</strong>tain a definiti<strong>on</strong> of“communicati<strong>on</strong> to <strong>the</strong> public,” which is defined in terms of “transmissi<strong>on</strong> to <strong>the</strong>public by any medium, o<strong>the</strong>r than broadcasting.” 465 This transmissi<strong>on</strong> right will465Article 2(f) of <strong>the</strong> WIPO Performances and Ph<strong>on</strong>ograms Treaty defines “broadcasting” to mean “<strong>the</strong>transmissi<strong>on</strong> by wireless means for public recepti<strong>on</strong> of sounds or of images and sounds or of <strong>the</strong> representati<strong>on</strong>s<strong>the</strong>reof ....” This definiti<strong>on</strong> seems to c<strong>on</strong>template isochr<strong>on</strong>ous transmissi<strong>on</strong>.- 110 -

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