Isn't it odd to deal on this subject with PTO instead of the Register of Copyrights?
What is the position of the Register of Copyrights on these issues?
-- 1267 Stoner Avenue, PH 302 PERLBERGER LAW OFFICES 15 Park Row, #500 Los Angeles, CA 90025 www.inc.com/users/mperlber.html New York, NY 10038 310 312 1400; Fax 1872 212 233 3676; Fax 3678 Entertainment, International, Business, Real Estate, Intellectual Property Law > The attached Federal Register Notice appeared today, requesting written > comments on the proposed WIPO treaties concerning copyright, rights for > producers and performers in sound recordings, and sui generis protection > of databases. Written comments may be sent in writing or electronically > to the PTO by November 22, 1996. > > Also announced is that the Chairman of the WIPO Committees of Experts, the > Honorable Jukka Liedes of Finland, who drafted the three treaty proposals, > will give a briefing to the public and answer questions on November 12, > 1996, at the Crystal Forum in Arlington, Va. > > Both of these are important opportunities to learn more about these > important draft treaty instruments and to give your views to the > Administration. > > The WIPO treaty drafts are available at the PTO website (www.uspto.gov) > in PDF format, the Copyright Office website (lcweb.loc.gov/copyright), and > in English and French at the WIPO website (www.wipo.int). > > Seth Greenstein Voice 202-778-8088 > McDermott, Will & Emery Fax 202-778-8087 > Washington, D.C. email sethg[_at_]access.digex.net > or, sgreenstein[_at_]mwe.com > > http://www.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/waisgate.cgi?WAISdocID=6027219839+4+0+0 > &WAISaction=retrieveReceived on Fri Oct 18 1996 - 04:39:02 GMT
>> [Federal Register: October 17, 1996 (Volume 61, Number 202)]
>> [Notices]
>> [Page 54159-54160]
>> From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
>>
>> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
>> Patent and Trademark Office
>>
>>
>> Request for Comments on the Chairman's Text of the Diplomatic
>> Conference on Certain Copyright and Neighboring Rights Questions, To Be
>> Held in Geneva From December 2 to 20, 1996
>>
>> AGENCY: Patent and Trademark Office, Commerce.
>>
>> ACTION: Notice and request for public comments.
>>
>> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> SUMMARY: As the Administration prepares for the Diplomatic Conference
>> on Certain Copyright and Neighboring Rights Questions, to be held in
>> Geneva from December 2 to 20, 1996, we invite interested parties to
>> submit written comments on the Chairman's text and to attend a public
>> briefing to discuss the Chairman's text of the Diplomatic Conference.
>> During the briefing, Jukka Liedes, Chairman of the Committee of
>> Experts, will discuss the text and will be available to answer
>> questions.
>>
>> DATES: The briefing will be held on November 12, 1996, from 1 p.m. to 5
>> p.m.
>> Written comments on the Chairman's text are due on or before
>> November 22, 1996.
>>
>> ADDRESSES: The briefing will be held in Marriott's Crystal Forum, a
>> part of the Crystal City Marriott Hotel located in The Underground,
>> 1999 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, Virginia.
>> A transcript of the meeting will be made available for public
>> inspection in room 902 of Crystal Park Two, 2121 Crystal Drive,
>> Arlington, Virginia. The transcript will also be made available through
>> the Patent and Trademark Office's home page, which is located at
>> www.uspto.gov.
>> Written comments should be submitted to the Commissioner of Patents
>> and Trademarks, Box 4, Patent and Trademark Office, Washington, D.C.
>> 20231, marked to the attention of Ms. Carmen Guzman Lowrey, Associate
>> Commissioner for Governmental and International Affairs. Written
>> comments may also be submitted electronically by sending them to Mr.
>> Keith Kupferschmid at diploconf[_at_]uspto.gov.
>> All written comments received will be made available for public
>> inspection in room 902 of Crystal Park Two, 2121 Crystal Drive,
>> Arlington, Virginia.
>>
>> FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Keith M. Kupferschmid by telephone
>> at (703) 305-9300, by facsimile at (703) 305-8885, by electronic mail
>> at diploconf[_at_]uspto.gov or by mail marked to his attention and addressed
>> to the Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks, Box 4, Patent and
>> Trademark Office, Washington, D.C. 20231. It is not necessary for
>> interested parties to contact the PTO to request to attend the
>> briefing.
>>
>> SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The United States is committed to making
>> progress in the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) toward
>> improving international protection for works protected by copyright and
>> neighboring rights. We want to build upon the international
>> intellectual property norms that were set in the Agreement on Trade-
>> Related Aspects of Intellectual Property (TRIPs). This is essential,
>> especially in view of the need to deal with the intellectual property
>> issues associated with the Global Information Infrastructure (GII). To
>> accomplish this goal, the members of WIPO, with the leadership of the
>> United States, are working to establish three new international
>> agreements, commonly referred to as--
>> <bullet> A Protocol to the Berne Convention for the Protection of
>> Literary and Artistic Works, which would modernize the Berne Convention
>> to take into account new forms of expression and new uses of
>> copyrighted works that have evolved due to technological developments
>> since the Berne Convention's most recent revision in 1971.
>> <bullet> A New Instrument for the Protection of Performers and
>> Producers of Phonograms, which would improve international standards of
>> protection for sound recordings, and protect the rights of certain
>> performers in respect of their live performances.
>> <bullet> A Treaty for the Sui Generis Protection of Databases,
>> which would ensure adequate incentives to invest in creating databases,
>> through a new type of protection that would safeguard databases against
>> destruction of their commercial value.
>> These agreements would provide the levels of protection for both
>> copyright and neighboring rights that are critical to the development
>> of the commercial potential of the GII.
>> Much progress has been made in the negotiations in WIPO through the
>> submission of treaty proposals by the United States and other
>> countries. Based on these submissions and the views expressed in
>> meetings of the Committee of Experts, the Chairman of the Committee of
>> Experts has prepared three draft treaties which address digital and
>> conventional copyright issues. These proposed treaties will be taken up
>> at a Diplomatic Conference on Certain Copyright and Neighboring Rights
>> Issues to be convened December 2-20, in Geneva at WIPO headquarters.
>>
>> [[Page 54160]]
>>
>> As the Administration prepares for the Diplomatic Conference, we
>> invite interested parties to submit written comments on the Chairman's
>> text of the draft treaties. These comments should be received by the
>> PTO no later than November 22, 1996.
>> In addition, to facilitate a better understanding of the text of
>> the draft treaties, the PTO will hold a briefing to discuss them.
>> During the briefing, Jukka Liedes, Chairman of the Committee of
>> Experts, will discuss the text and will be available to answer
>> questions.
>> Copies of the draft treaties and other information relevant to the
>> Diplomatic Conference can be found at the PTO's home page, located at
>> www.uspto.gov. Copies of the draft treaties will also be available at
>> the briefing and upon request.
>>
>> Dated: October 10, 1996.
>> Bruce A. Lehman,
>> Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Commissioner of Patents and
>> Trademarks.
>> [FR Doc. 96-26511 Filed 10-16-96; 8:45 am]
>> BILLING CODE 3510-16-P
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.2.0 : Mon Mar 26 2007 - 00:35:22 GMT