RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE IP/C/W/100
7May1998
ORGANIZATION(98-1825)
Original: English Council forTrade-Related Aspects
ofIntellectual Property Rights
REVIEW OFLEGISLATION
Questions Posed bytheEuropean Communities andtheirMember States
Bymeans ofcommunications from thePermanent Delegation oftheEuropean Commission,
dated 30April and6May1998, theSecretariat hasreceived thefollowing questions posed bythe
European Communities andtheirMember States toBulgaria andtheSlovak Republic.
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QUESTIONS POSED TOBULGARIA
1. PleaseexplainwhetherandhowBulgarianlegislationprovidesauthors(includingtheirsuccessors
intitle)ofcomputer programs andcinematographic works withtherighttoauthorize ortoprohibit
thecommercial rental tothepublic oforiginals orcopies oftheircopyright works (Article 11ofthe
TRIPS Agreement)?
2. Article 3,paragraph 2oftheLawonCopyright andRelated Rights seems togrant copyright
protection tofolklore works whereas Article 4seems toexclude suchprotection. Please clarify and
explain.
3. Article 18,paragraph 3oftheLawonCopyright andRelated Rights provides forprotection
ofthework only"when doneinsuchaway, astoenable anunlimited number ofpeople toperceive
thework". Please explain howthiscomplies withArticle 9oftheTRIPS Agreement inconjunction
withArticles 11,11bisand12oftheBerne Convention?
4. Article 23,paragraphs 3-8oftheLawonCopyright andRelated Rights doesnotprovide for
theobligation tomention thesource andthename oftheauthor incases ofpermitted reproduction.
Please explain howthiscomplies withArticle 9oftheTRIPS Agreement inconjunction withArticles 10
and10bisoftheBerne Convention?
5. Article 29oftheLawonCopyright andRelated Rights doesnotseem torequire theconsent
oftheauthor todisclose films orother audio-visual works. Please explain howthiscomplies with
Article 9oftheTRIPS Agreement inconjunction withArticle 7oftheBerne Convention?
6. Does Bulgarian legislation protect therightofperformers andbroadcasting organizations to
communicatetheirperformancesandtheirtelevisionbroadcaststothepublicasrequiredunderArticle14
oftheTRIPS Agreement? Please explain indetail.
7. Aretherights ofperformers andproducers ofphonograms protected afterthefixation ismade
ortheperformance takes place, butbefore theirrespective publication (Articles 82and89oftheLaw
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Page 2
onCopyright andRelated Rights)? Ifthisisnotthecase, please explain howBulgarian legislation
complies withArticle 14.5oftheTRIPS Agreement?
8. Articles 31,82,89and92oftheLawonCopyright andRelated Rights statethattheterm
ofprotection onlybegins torunfrom1January oftheyearfollowing thedeath oftheauthor, publication
etc.Howareauthors, performers, producers ofphonograms andbroadcasting organizations protected
before thetermofprotection begins torun?
9. Please explain whether andhowBulgaria provides full"retroactive protection" toworks,
phonograms andperformances fromotherWTO Members, asrequired byArticles 9.1,14.6and70.2of
theTRIPS Agreement which incorporate byreference orrelyuponArticle 18oftheBerne Convention.
Please givetheretroactive datetowhich suchprotection extends withrespect toeachcategory ofsubject
matter.
10. Does theLawonCopyright andRelated Rights provide formeasures, including provisional
measures, toprevent theentryintothechannels ofcommerce inBulgaria ofimported goods thatinvolve
theinfringement ofanintellectual property right, immediately aftercustoms clearance ofsuchgoods?
Please explain indetail. (Articles 44and50oftheTRIPS Agreement)
11. Does theLawonCopyright andRelated Rights provide foradministrative penal provision for
allexclusive rights conferred toauthors, performers, producers andbroadcasting organizations? Please
explain indetail. (Article 41oftheTRIPS Agreement).
QUESTIONS POSED TOTHE SLOVAK REPUBLIC
1. What criteria areapplied todefine "original" inthecaseofcopyright fordatabases pursuant
toArticle 6(2)oftheCopyright Act?
2. Does Article 10oftheCopyright Actcover databases?
3. Please clarify whether the25yeartermofprotection available forpreviously unpublished (sic)
work under Article 41oftheCopyright Actistobeunderstood toaddtotheregular termofprotection
(75years) forsuchworks.
4. Inthelightoftheprotection required byArticle 14.2oftheTRIPS Agreement, doesthe
Copyright Actoranyother provision ofthelawoftheSlovak Republic protect digital reproduction
ordigital transmission ofphonograms?
5. Please explain whether andhowtheSlovak Republic provides fullretroactive protection to
works, phonograms andperformances fromother WTO Members, asrequired byArticles 9.1,14.6
and70.2oftheTRIPS Agreement, eachofwhich incorporate byreference orrelyonArticle 18of
theBerne Convention. Please alsogivetheretroactive datetowhich suchprotection extends with
respect toeachcategory ofsubject matter.
6. DoestheSlovak Republic apply the"ruleoftheshorter term" tophonograms andperformances
from other WTO Members?
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