WIPO Copyright Treaty

WIPO Copyright Treaty (WCT):

The WIPO Copyright Treaty is a special agreement under the framework of the Berne Convention, designed to address copyright protection in the digital age. While rooted in the Berne Convention, the WCT requires all Contracting Parties—even those not formally part of the Berne Convention—to adhere to the substantive provisions of the 1971 (Paris) Act of the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works.

The Treaty specifically extends copyright protection to two categories of subject matter:

1. Computer programs, regardless of the format or method of expression.  
2. Compilations of data or materials (i.e., databases), provided that the selection or arrangement of their contents reflects original intellectual creation. Databases lacking such creativity fall outside the Treaty’s scope. 

In addition to the rights already guaranteed under the Berne Convention, the WCT grants authors the exclusive rights of distribution, rental, and right of communication to the public.

Contracting Parties:

Afghanistan - Albania - Algeria - Argentina - Armenia - Australia - Austria - Azerbaijan - Bahrain - Barbados - Belarus - Belgium - Belize - Benin - Bolivia- Bosnia and Herzegovina - Botswana - Brunei Darussalam - Bulgaria - Burkina Faso-Burundi - Cabo Verde  - Cameroon - Canada - Chile - China - Colombia - Comoros-Cook Islands - Costa Rica - Croatia - Cyprus - Czech Republic - Democratic People's Republic of Korea - Denmark - Dominican Republic - Ecuador - 
El Salvador - Estonia - European Union (EU) - Finland - France - Gabon - Georgia - Germany - Ghana - Greece - Guatemala - Guinea - Honduras - Hungary - India - Indonesia - Ireland - Israel - Italy - Jamaica - Japan - Jordan - Kazakhstan - Kenya- Kiribati - Kyrgyzstan - Latvia - Liechtenstein - Lithuania - Luxembourg - Madagascar - Malaysia - Mali - Malta - Mexico - Monaco - Mongolia - Montenegro- Morocco - Namibia - Nauru - Netherlands - New Zealand - Nicaragua- Nigeria - North Macedonia - Oman - Panama - Paraguay - Peru - Philippines - Poland - Portugal - Qatar - Republic of Korea - Republic of Moldova - Romania - Russian Federation - Saint Kitts and Nevis - Saint Lucia - Saint Vincent and the Grenadines - San Marino - Sao Tome and Principe - Senegal - Serbia - Singapore - Slovakia - Slovenia - South Africa - Spain - Sweden - Switzerland - Tajikistan - Thailand - Togo - Trinidad and Tobago - Tunisia - Türkiye - Uganda - Ukraine - United Arab Emirates - United Kingdom - United States of America - Uruguay - Uzbekistan - Vanuatu - Venezuela- VietNam.