Digital technology and the Internet have created a powerful tool for fast and affordable distribution of creative content reaching billions of people in every corner of the world. The rise of the digital environment brings both opportunities and challenges to rightsholders and the general public; understanding and addressing how this affects the functioning of the copyright system is possibly among the most fundamental IP questions currently discussed by policy makers on a global scale.
A Proposal for Analysis of Copyright Related to the Digital Environment within the work of the Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR) was put forward (by GRULAC countries) in 2015 during the 31st session of the SCCR. The objective was to open up a debate on number of related topics, such as the efficiency of current legal frameworks, the remuneration of authors and performers linked to digital uses, or the management practices of emerging online businesses.
As a result of these first exchanges, a series of studies have been prepared to inform the discussions and future work of the Committee.