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Republic of Moldova joins Marrakesh Treaty
The Republic of Moldova is the 35th country to join the Marrakesh Treaty. The Treaty improves access to published works for visually impaired or print disabled persons and provides ways to exchange special format copies across borders. It has been designed to respect the rights of authors and to encourage creativity.
Think tank says CPTPP still has high IP standards
According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) could provide ‘the most advanced and detailed standards on intellectual property in a trade agreement to-date’.
This statement comes despite revisions to the Free Trade Agreement’s IP chapter after the United States dropped out of the deal.
The CPTPP agreement is being negotiated by 11 Asia-Pacific economies: Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam.
See the analysis from CSIS here.
Lighthizer urges NAFTA partners to close the deal before elections
On 5 March, United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer called on Mexico and Canada to quicken progress on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) renegotiations. He said he feared that elections in all three countries could stifle the work being carried out, adding that the US is prepared to proceed bilaterally.
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Japan: Major talent agency to go digital
The most powerful talent agency in Japan, Johnny & Associates, is known for its anti-digital stance. The company has, in the past, prohibited photos of its artists appearing online, while its talent is not allowed to use social media.
However, there has been a shift, with the agency announcing that it will start a YouTube channel on 21 March. The move could completely change how the entire Japanese music industry views the digital marketplace and streaming services in general.
New Zealand: Copyright act ‘issue papers’ coming in May
The New Zealand Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment has announced that it plans to publish so-called ‘issue papers’ relating to the Copyright Act review in May 2018. Following this, there will be public consultations from mid-2018 before the Government decides on the scope of the review and sets out next steps.
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United States: Court rules against Cox Communications
The 4th Circuit Court of Appeals last month ruled against Cox Communications on a key issue regarding safe harbour provisions.
The Court found that Cox was not entitled to safe harbour protections because it willingly failed to disconnect people who repeatedly infringed. The record label involved (BMG) in the case said it informed Cox that thousands of its customers were infringing copyright, and that Cox took no action and therefore was not entitled to safe harbour protections. The case will now be remanded back to the district court for a new trial.
United States: Trump tweets on IP
On 7 March, Donald Trump tweeted that ‘the US is acting swiftly on intellectual property theft. We cannot allow this to happen as it has for many years!’ This could mean that an announcement on copyright matters is in the pipeline, but it remains unclear what will happen next. The tweet did however coincide with a US Congress debate on the phenomenon of TV set-top boxes, which are being used in millions of homes to stream illegal content.
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European Commission announces more measures for dealing with illegal content online
The European Commission on 1 March published a Recommendation on measures to effectively tackle illegal content online. The goal is to help EU countries and online platforms better deal with ‘all forms of illegal content’, including intellectual property rights (IPR) infringement.
European Commission searches for AI experts
On 9 March, the Commission launched a call for experts on artificial intelligence (AI). The aim is to gather input on AI and rally a broad alliance of diverse stakeholders. The expert group will also draw up a proposal for guidelines on AI ethics.
Commission Vice-President for the Digital Single Market Andrus Ansip said: “Step by step, we are setting up the right environment for Europe to make the most of what artificial intelligence can offer. Data, supercomputers and bold investment are essential for developing artificial intelligence, along with a broad public discussion combined with the respect of ethical principles for its take-up. As always with the use of technologies, trust is a must.”
EU funding for digital start-ups
With the impending arrival of the new Digital Single Market strategy, European Commission Vice-President Andrus Ansip has announced a new €21 million fund for digital tech companies. The plan is to contribute towards improving the success of European tech industry and create a vibrant digital start-up sector.
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ICMP lunch at the European Parliament
On 27 February, ICMP organised an MEP lunch at the European Parliament in Brussels. Hosted by MEP Sabine Verheyen, the event featured a special guest in the form of renowned composer, songwriter and producer Ali Zukowski, who spoke about the importance copyright, and in particular about the need to fix the value gap.
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IMPF Annual General Assembly
ICMP member the Independent Music Publishers Forum (IMPF), held its annual meeting on 7 March in London.
At the meeting, board elections were held and the new 2018-2020 board is now comprised of:
Simon Platz - Bucks Music Group Ltd. (UK), Annette Barrett – Reservoir/Reverb Music (UK), Julio Guiu Marquina - Ediciones Musicales Clipper’s, SL (ES), Niclass Bjorlund - Edition Bjorlund AB (SE), Halit Uman - Halit Music (FR), Maria Romana Francesca Trainini - Oyez! SRL (IT), Rolf Budde - Budde Music Publishing (DE), Rob Guthrie -– Songs Music Publishing (US), Pierre Mossiat - Strictly Confidential Music Publishing (Benelux), Filippo Sugar - Sugarmusic (IT), Teresa Alfonso - Teddy Sound SL (ES), Jake Wisely – Concord Music (US), Ichi Asatsuma – FujiPacific (JP), Justin Kalifowitz - Downtown Music Publishing (US), Ian James – Mushroom Music Publishing (AU), Teri Nelson Carpenter – Reel Muzik Werks (US), Paulina Golba – Golba Music (PL), David Alexander – Sheer Publishing Africa (ZA), Thomas Jamois – Velvetica Music Publishing (FR), Andrei Filip - K9 Music Publishing (ROU).
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US social media habits revealed
The Pew Research Centre has surveyed Americans’ social-media habits and found that Facebook ranked the top platform overall with 68% of American adults and one third of those surveyed admitted to logging on every day. YouTube has the highest ranking overall with 73% of adults and 94% of 18 to 24-year olds using the service.
CISAC study critical of safe harbours
An economic study from the University of Texas states that safe harbours distort digital market, profit tech giants and harm creators. The study was commissioned by CISAC, the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers. See the findings here.
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