Much of domestic copyright law in the U.S., and in most countries, is driven directly by the requirements of international agreements and treaties. The Berne Convention has been setting standards for domestic statutes since the 1880s. Multiple trade agreements have imposed various copyright requirements. In recent years, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has been advancing treaty possibilities to serve the needs of the blind, and in the future possibly the needs of library service and education. International developments are slow in coming, but they foreshadow important changes in our own copyright law.
Presenter: Kenneth D. Crews, JD, PhD
UC 116