About Intellectual Property IP Training IP Outreach IP for… IP and... IP in... Patent & Technology Information Trademark Information Industrial Design Information Geographical Indication Information Plant Variety Information (UPOV) IP Laws, Treaties & Judgements IP Resources IP Reports Patent Protection Trademark Protection Industrial Design Protection Geographical Indication Protection Plant Variety Protection (UPOV) IP Dispute Resolution IP Office Business Solutions Paying for IP Services Negotiation & Decision-Making Development Cooperation Innovation Support Public-Private Partnerships The Organization Working with WIPO Accountability Patents Trademarks Industrial Designs Geographical Indications Copyright Trade Secrets WIPO Academy Workshops & Seminars World IP Day WIPO Magazine Raising Awareness Case Studies & Success Stories IP News WIPO Awards Business Universities Indigenous Peoples Judiciaries Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Traditional Cultural Expressions Economics Gender Equality Global Health Climate Change Competition Policy Sustainable Development Goals Enforcement Frontier Technologies Mobile Applications Sports Tourism PATENTSCOPE Patent Analytics International Patent Classification ARDI – Research for Innovation ASPI – Specialized Patent Information Global Brand Database Madrid Monitor Article 6ter Express Database Nice Classification Vienna Classification Global Design Database International Designs Bulletin Hague Express Database Locarno Classification Lisbon Express Database Global Brand Database for GIs PLUTO Plant Variety Database GENIE Database WIPO-Administered Treaties WIPO Lex - IP Laws, Treaties & Judgments WIPO Standards IP Statistics WIPO Pearl (Terminology) WIPO Publications Country IP Profiles WIPO Knowledge Center WIPO Technology Trends Global Innovation Index World Intellectual Property Report PCT – The International Patent System ePCT Budapest – The International Microorganism Deposit System Madrid – The International Trademark System eMadrid Article 6ter (armorial bearings, flags, state emblems) Hague – The International Design System eHague Lisbon – The International System of Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indications eLisbon UPOV PRISMA Mediation Arbitration Expert Determination Domain Name Disputes Centralized Access to Search and Examination (CASE) Digital Access Service (DAS) WIPO Pay Current Account at WIPO WIPO Assemblies Standing Committees Calendar of Meetings WIPO Official Documents Development Agenda Technical Assistance IP Training Institutions COVID-19 Support National IP Strategies Policy & Legislative Advice Cooperation Hub Technology and Innovation Support Centers (TISC) Technology Transfer Inventor Assistance Program WIPO GREEN WIPO's Pat-INFORMED Accessible Books Consortium WIPO for Creators WIPO ALERT Member States Observers Director General Activities by Unit External Offices Job Vacancies Procurement Results & Budget Financial Reporting Oversight

Limitations and Exceptions

In order to maintain an appropriate balance between the interests of rightsholders and users of protected works, copyright laws allow certain limitations on economic rights, that is, cases in which protected works may be used without the authorization of the rightsholder and with or without payment of compensation.

Limitations and exceptions to copyright and related rights vary from country to country due to particular social, economic and historical conditions. International treaties acknowledge this diversity by providing general conditions for the application of limitations and exceptions, leaving national legislators to decide if a particular limitation or exception is to be applied and, if it is the case, to determine its exact scope. With the development of new technologies and the ever increasing worldwide use of the Internet, there has been extensive discussion about how limitations and exceptions apply in the digital environment, including when content crosses borders.

The WIPO Standing Committee for Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR) has been addressing the issue of limitations and exceptions to copyright since 2004 and has been addressing limitations and exceptions to copyright for libraries and archives, educational and research institutions, and persons with other disabilities at every session since 2012. The SCCR developed and implemented extensive Action Plans on limitations and exceptions in 2018-19, culminating in an International Conference on Copyright Limitations and Exceptions for Libraries, Archives, Museums and Educational and Research Institutions.

Studies and Reports

In recent years, including as part of the 2018-19 Action Plans, the Secretariat has arranged for a number of studies and reports mapping limitations and exceptions in various jurisdictions. These studies were presented to Members and Observers during various sessions of the SCCR. They provide an overview of the nature and diversity of statutory provisions in the copyright law of WIPO member states with respect to copyright limitations and exceptions for libraries and archives, educational and research institutions, and persons with other disabilities.

Meetings