The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) presents his compliments to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and has the honor to enclose herewith the English translation of a letter dated July 23, 2004, from His Excellency Mr. Michael Steiner, Ambassador, Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of the Federal Republic of Germany to the United Nations Office at Geneva.
August 16, 2004
Translation
[Translated into English by the Permanent Mission of Germany]
Dear Director General,
I have the honour to refer to Berne Notification No. 230 dated 23 March 2004 and to inform you of the following:
The Federal Republic of Germany hereby raises an objection to the declaration by the Republic of Turkey concerning Article 33(1) of the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works of 9 September 1886, as revised at Paris on 24 July 1971.
The declaration runs contrary to Article 33(2) of the Convention according to which a state can only declare that it does not consider itself bound by the provisions of Article 33(1) at the time it signs the Convention as revised at Paris on 24 July 1996 or deposits its instrument of ratification or accession.
Accept, Director General, the assurance of my highest consideration.