As far as GATT 1947 is concerned, the WTO's claim to copyright is tantamount to claiming paternity in respect of one's grandfather. Without considering the possible claims to copyright by the latter, it does not seem that any such cession was embodied in the WTO Agreements. If there is any copyright in the WTO Agreements, the copyright should vest in the states party to the agreements. The next question is whether such copyright should be protected in law or even be claimed by the states. Treaties are public legal documents and in that sense should be available to the public at large.
Treaties do have the potential to affect the rights of the ordinary citizens in a state.
This is true whether or not a treaty is regarded as self-executing and whether or not it has been incorporated into national law. This is particularly true as far as the WTO Agreements are concerned. Seen from the viewpoint of the individual in the state, public policy demands that the state should not claim any copyright in respect of its treaties. This seems to be the right approach. An international organisation can also not claim copyright in respect of treaties in South African law.