The International Copyright Problem and Durable Solutions

Abstract

The calls for copyright reform at both the national and international level are growing louder. Many authors, owners, distributors, users, and consumers are dissatisfied with the current regime, but solutions are not easy to find. Existing rules are inadequate to deal with copyright in the digital world and partial solutions are not likely to be durable. The problems of copyright are not confined to one jurisdiction. Just as the creation and dissemination of copyright works are global, copyright’s legal problems are an international problem. Existing international rules alone cannot provide the solution to this policy debate, but they do have a role. This Article analyzes the international framework and concludes that improved interpretation of the international rules plays an important role. The Article concludes that effective interpretation of international agreements in order to achieve a broad consistency about the object and purpose of copyright law can make a substantive contribution to creating a durable solution to the international copyright problem.

Keywords: copyright, international law, reform, problem, durable, solution, intellectual property, property, technology, modernisation

JEL Classification: K11, K23, K33, K42, K00, K14, K4, O34, O33