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Table of Contents
Table of Contents .......................................................................................................................................................... 2
Module Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................... 3

Module Overview and Learning Outcomes........................................................................................................................... 3

Module Structure................................................................................................................................................................... 4
What is Related Rights? ......................................................................................................................................................... 5
Topic 1: Understanding Related Rights .......................................................................................................................... 7
Description of Related Rights ................................................................................................................................................ 7
Check Your Learning 1 ......................................................................................................................................................... 10
Topic 2: Beneficiaries of Related Rights ....................................................................................................................... 11
Categories of Beneficiaries .................................................................................................................................................. 11
Topic 3: International Treaties and Conventions Concerning Related Rights ................................................................ 13

International Responses to Meet Evolving Legal Protection Needs................................................................................... 13

Rome Convention and TRIPS ............................................................................................................................................... 15
WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty (WPPT) ....................................................................................................... 17
Beijing Treaty on Audiovisual Performances ...................................................................................................................... 18
Check Your Learning 2 ......................................................................................................................................................... 19
Limitations and Exceptions .................................................................................................................................................. 20
Term of Protection............................................................................................................................................................... 21
Check Your Learning 3 ......................................................................................................................................................... 23
Enforcement ........................................................................................................................................................................ 24

Topic 4: Protection of Traditional Cultural Expressions ................................................................................................ 25

Related Rights and Protection for Traditional Cultural Expressions .................................................................................. 25
Public Domain Materials...................................................................................................................................................... 26
Module Summary ................................................................................................................................................................ 27
Module Quiz................................................................................................................................................................ 28
Question Set......................................................................................................................................................................... 28
Answer Key ................................................................................................................................................................. 30
Check Your Learning ............................................................................................................................................................ 30
Module Quiz......................................................................................................................................................................... 32
Module Resources ....................................................................................................................................................... 33
Video Tutorial.............................................................................................................................................................. 34
End of Module 3: Related Rights .................................................................................................................................. 34

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 Module Introduction
Module Overview and Learning Outcomes

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 Module Structure

This module is divided into 4 topics. You are required to complete the topics sequentially in order to best meet the module
learning outcomes.

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 What is Related Rights?

The first thing to say is that related rights is a fairly new term and some documents refer to the same rights under the term
neighboring rights, which is itself derived from the expression “rights neighbouring on copyright ”. This module will just
use the term related rights.

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 Topic 1: Understanding Related Rights
Description of Related Rights

What is the purpose of related rights?

Related rights are rights that in certain respects resemble copyright. The purpose of related rights is to protect the legal
interests of certain persons and legal entities who contribute to bringing copyrighted works to the public. The overall
purpose of these related rights is to protect those people or organizations that add substantial creative, technical or
organizational skill in the process of bringing a work to the public.

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 Example to Explain Related Rights

To better understand Related Rights let’s consider an example of a piano concert by Beethoven.

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 Check Your Learning 1

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 Topic 2: Beneficiaries of Related Rights
Categories of Beneficiaries

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 Topic 3: International Treaties and Conventions Concerning Related
Rights
International Responses to Meet Evolving Legal Protection Needs

Here you will read and learn about three important international responses to the need for legal protection for the three
categories of related rights beneficiaries.

The next few slides look at the rights provided for performers producers and broadcasters by International treaties and
conventions.

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 Rome Convention and TRIPS

What rights are provided to the beneficiaries of related rights under the Rome Convention?

The rights granted to the three beneficiaries of related rights in national laws are as follows, although not all rights may be
granted in the same National law. (See Article 3 of the Rome Convention)

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 WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty (WPPT)

What rights are provided to the beneficiaries of related rights under the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty?

Performers are provided the rights to authorize reproduction, distribution, rental and making available for fixed
performances (except audiovisual performances). With respect to unfixed (live) performances they have the rights to
authorize broadcasting and communication to the public (with some limits), and fixation. They are also granted moral
rights, that is, the right to claim to be identified as the performer and the right to object to any distortion, mutilation or
other modification that would be prejudicial to the performer's reputation.

Producers of phonograms are granted the rights to authorize reproduction, distribution, rental and making available.

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 Beijing Treaty on Audiovisual Performances

What rights are provided to the audiovisual performers under the Beijing treaty?

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 Check Your Learning 2

Question: Categorize each statement into the relevant one of the following treaties:

1. Rome Convention
2. Beijing Treaty
3. WPPT
4. Rome Convention & TRIPS

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 Limitations and Exceptions

As is the case in copyright, the Rome Convention has certain limitations and exceptions to rights allowing for example,
private use, use of short excerpts in connection with the reporting of current events, and use for teaching or scientific
research, of protected performances, phonograms, and broadcasts (Article 15 of the Rome Convention).

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 Term of Protection

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 Check Your Learning 3

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 Enforcement

In terms of enforcement of rights, the remedies for infringement or violation of related rights are, in general, similar to
those available to owners of copyright (Part III of the TRIPS Agreement).

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 Topic 4: Protection of Traditional Cultural Expressions
Related Rights and Protection for Traditional Cultural Expressions

The idea of related rights has also attracted some attention as a way of protecting the unrecorded cultural expression of
many developing countries, which is part of their traditional cultural expressions (what has historically often been referred
to as “folklore”), because it is often through the intervention of performers that these expressions are communicated to
the public. By providing related rights protection, developing countries may also provide a means for protection of the
vast, ancient and invaluable cultural expression which is a metaphor for their own existence and identity; indeed, the
essence of what separates each culture from its neighbors across the frontier or across the world.

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 Public Domain Materials

In this case, the protection of related rights might serve the twin objectives of preserving national culture and providing a
means for commercially meaningful exploitation of international markets.

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 Module Summary

This module was concerned with related rights, also referred to as neighbouring rights, or more specifically “rights neighbouring
on copyright”. The purpose of related rights is to protect the legal interests of certain persons or organizations who contribute
to making bringing the works available to the public or those who add creative, technical or organizational skill.

Traditionally, related rights have been granted to three categories of beneficiaries:

1. performers,

2. producers and

3. broadcasters.

The need for legal protection of these three groups was identified in 1961 in the Rome Convention in 1961, which was an attempt
to establish international regulations in a new field where few national laws already existed. In other words, most States would
normally have to draft and enact laws before adhering to the Convention.

The newest treaties in the field of related rights, the WPPT and the BTAP, increased the scope of protection of the rights of
performers and phonogram producers while venturing into the "digital age" with protections designed for the exploitation of
protected works in digital form, including over the Internet. The WPPT and BTAP provisions were adopted by States in 1996 and
2012, respectively. Updated protection for broadcasters has not yet been addressed in a multilateral treaty. The Rome
Convention, although imperfect and in need of revision, is still the only international benchmark for protection in this field.

Like the situation for copyright, the Rome Convention, WPPT, BTAP, and national laws do contain limitations on and exceptions
to related rights allowing for private use, use of short excerpts, and use for teaching or scientific research.

The duration of protection of related rights, as stated in the Rome Convention, is 20 years from the end of the year (1) the
recording is made; (2) the performance took place; (3) the broadcast took place. The duration of protection of the related rights
provided in the WPPT and BTAP is 50 years.

The newest treaty in the field of related rights, the WPPT, increased the scope of protection of the rights of performers and
phonogram producers by venturing into the "digital age" with protections designed as regards the exploitation of protected
works in digital form, including over the Internet.

In terms of enforcement of rights, the remedies for infringement or violation of related rights are, in general, similar to those
available to owners of copyright (Part III of the TRIPS Agreement). These are conservatory or provisional measures; civil remedies;
criminal sanctions; measures to be taken at the border; and measures, remedies and sanctions against abuses in respect of
technical devices.

By providing related rights protection, developing countries may also provide a means for protection of the vast, ancient and
invaluable cultural expression which is a metaphor for their own existence and identity; indeed, the essence of what separates
each culture from its neighbors across the frontier or across the world. Likewise, protection of producers of phonograms and
broadcasting organizations helps to establish the foundation for national industries capable of disseminating national cultural
expression within the country and, perhaps more important, in markets outside it.

Performers of folklore are included in the definition of the beneficiaries of the WPPT and BTAP.

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 Module Quiz
Question Set

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 Answer Key
Check Your Learning

ID
Check Your Learning Questions and Model Answers
No

1
Question: What were the three groups of people or organizations that were stated to have related rights?

2
Question: Categorize each statement into the relevant one of the following treaties:

5. Rome Convention
6. Beijing Treaty
7. WPPT
8. Rome Convention & TRIPS

3
Question: If a performance took place in May 2010 until when would the performance have protection according to the
Rome Convention and when according to the TRIPS agreement?

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 Module Quiz

Question Number Question Correct Answer/s

1 Related rights are those which relate to: b. Copyright

2 Which groups of people or organizations do NOT c. Internet content providers

normally benefit from related rights?

3 The duration of protection of related rights under the c. 20 years from the end of the year
Rome Convention is the performance took place.

4 Expressions of folklore: a. Can obtain some protection under

related rights.

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 Module Resources

Legislative Texts

Name Hyperlink

Rome Convention for the Protection of Performers, https://www.wipo.int/treaties/en/ip/rome/

Producers of Phonograms and Broadcasting
Organizations (Rome Convention)

Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual https://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/trips_e/trips_e.htm

Property Rights (TRIPS)

WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty https://www.wipo.int/treaties/en/ip/wppt/

(WPPT)

Beijing Treaty for Audiovisual Performances (Beijing https://www.wipo.int/treaties/en/ip/beijing/

Treaty or BTAP)

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 Video Tutorial

The following video, by Michele Woods, introduces the basic concepts of related rights including exclusive and neighboring
rights and who can benefit from them. This video also covers certain treaties such as the Rome Convention, the WIPO
Performances and Phonograms Treaty and the Beijing Treaty.

https://vimeo.com/user2977389/review/366931455/6f25ca6dc8

End of Module 3: Related Rights

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