RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE IP/C/W/95
25March 1998
ORGANIZATION(98-1182)
Original: English Council forTrade-Related Aspects
ofIntellectual Property Rights
REVIEW OFLEGISLATION
Questions Posed bytheEuropean Communities andtheirMember States
Bymeans ofacommunication fromthePermanent Delegation oftheEuropean Commission,
dated 23March 1998, theSecretariat hasreceived thefollowing questions posed bytheEuropean
Communities andtheirMember States toPoland.
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QUESTIONS POSED TOPOLAND
1. Itisourunderstanding thatthePolish ActonCopyright andNeighbouring Rights ("Act") grants
rights toPolish performers, producers ofphonograms andbroadcasting organisations which arenot
granted toforeign performers, producers ofphonograms andbroadcasting organisations. Ifthisis
thecase, please explain howtheActcomplies withArticle 3inconjunction withArticles 65.3and
65.2oftheTRIPS Agreement.
2. Article 126oftheActprovides thatitapplies, among others, tophonograms which weremade
within 20years preceding theentry intoforce oftheLaw. Asaresult, itwould appear thatpre-1974
recordings, which havenotyetfallen intopublic domain through theexpiry ofthetermofprotection,
arenotprotected under theAct. Ifthisisthecase, please explain howArticle 126complies with
Article 14.6oftheTRIPS Agreement inconjunction withArticle 18oftheBerne Convention.
3. Article 124.3 oftheActprovides that"owners ofcomputer programs created priortothisAct
coming intoforce andprotected under paragraph 1above, maynotbemade responsible forthe
infringement ofcopyright prior tosuchdate". Could theGovernment ofPoland please clarify the
meaning andscope ofthisprovision?
4. Article 21oftheActprovides that"public radio andtelevision broadcasting organizations shall
beallowed tobroadcast published works which arenotfeature films, feature series inclusive". How
doesthisprovision comply withArticle 9oftheTRIPS Agreement inconjunction withArticle 11bis
oftheBerne Convention which states that"authors ofliterary andartistic works shallenjoy theexclusive
rightofauthorizing thebroadcast oftheirworks orthecommunication thereof tothepublic byany
other means ofwireless diffusion ofsigns, sounds orimages"?
5. Article 31oftheActprovides that"itshallbepermitted toperform forthepublic theliterary
works, musical works, textual andmusical works having beenpublished ifitisnotconnected with
anymaterial benefits". Thisconcerns, among others, "…events accessible tothepublic …".Please
clarify howthisprovision isinterpreted, inparticular against thebackground ofArticle 13oftheTRIPS
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Agreement which states thatlimitations orexceptions totheexclusive rightshallbeconfined tocertain
special cases "which donotconflict withanormal exploitation ofthework anddonotunreasonably
prejudice thelegitimate interests oftherightholder".
6. Please explain whether andhowthePolish copyright legislation implements Article 11ofthe
TRIPS Agreement withrespect tocinematographic works.
7. Please alsoexplain howthePolish copyright legislation protects anonymous andpseudonymous
works.
8. Article 14.2oftheTRIPS Agreement provides thatproducers ofphonograms shallenjoy the
righttoauthorize orprohibit thedirect orindirect reproduction oftheirphonograms. Please clarify
whether andhowtheActimplements thisobligation.
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