CIAM Accredited to WIPO

CIAM is delighted to report that, earlier today, the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) plenary has approved the accreditation of CIAM as official observers.

This formal “observer status” will allow CIAM to attend meetings of the Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR), actively participate and lobby governments. It is a major step in the campaign to increase the visibility of creators and have their voice heard.

The SCCR was set up in the 1999 to examine matters of substantive law or harmonization in the field of copyright and related rights. It is composed of all member states of WIPO and/or of the Berne Union; and, as observers, certain member states of the United Nations (UN) which are non-members of WIPO and/or the Berne Union, as well as a number of intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations. CIAM is now one of these observer bodies.

The application process took a few months, but the successful outcome today paves the way for greater involvement of creators in global policy making, and for a stronger pro-copyright voice in Geneva.