The Federal Service for Intellectual Property (Rospatent) on behalf of the Russian Federation participated in the 43^rd session of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR), held in Geneva (Switzerland) on March 13-17, 2023.

Rospatent prepared the position of the Russian Federation in close collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media.

The session mainly focused on the 2^nd revised draft text for the WIPO Broadcasting Organizations Treaty, exceptions and limitations on copyright and related rights for the libraries, archives, educational and research institutions, as well as the protection of theatre director’s rights at the international level, proposed by the Russian Federation and approved at the 36^th SCCR session.

Under the agenda item of the latter topic, the delegations of Russia, China and Ghana on behalf of the African Group stressed the importance of strengthening the protection of theatre directors' rights and the need to continue the relevant research and analysis. Upon the Russian delegation’s request, the SCCR Secretariat will hold informal consultations with the relevant sector stakeholders and interested Member States in the inter-sessional period, aimed at carrying out a survey and analysis, and then developing international recommendations that would enhance the theatre directors' rights.

Furthermore, the Member States considered in detail the revised draft WIPO Broadcasting Organizations Treaty. The Rospatent delegation welcomed the fact that the new revision covers the distribution of the signal by any means, including broadcasting through computer networks. The representatives of the Russian IP Office suggested incorporating the possibility to extend the scope of protection in the document, which would contribute to the technology development and ensure the rights of broadcasting organizations for a long time. The Russian delegation took an active part in the article-by-article discussion of the draft Treaty. Upon consideration, the SCCR decided to continue discussing the revised draft document in the inter-sessional period and at its 44^th session.

The Committee also approved the Proposal by the African Group for a Draft Work Program on Exceptions and Limitations, and considered the Toolkit on Preservation (of the world's cultural heritage) prepared by the Secretariat.

The SCCR also approved the proposal prepared by Sierra Leone, Panama and Malawi and requested the Secretariat to prepare the study on public lending right.

The session also comprised the Roundtable concerning cross-border issues in education and research, and the information session on the music streaming market.