Legal Definitions - Geneva Phonograms Convention

The Geneva Phonograms Convention is a treaty that was established in 1971. Its purpose is to protect phonorecord producers from piracy and the importation of pirated copies. This is done through copyright protection, unfair-competition law, or criminal sanctions.

The treaty was created by representatives from WIPO and UNESCO to address weaknesses in the Rome Convention. It is also known as the Convention for the Protection of Producers of Phonograms Against Unauthorized Duplication of Their Phonograms or simply the Phonograms Convention.

One example of the Geneva Phonograms Convention in action is when a record company sues someone for illegally copying and distributing their music. The treaty provides legal protection for the record company and allows them to seek damages for the infringement.

Another example is when customs officials seize a shipment of pirated CDs at the border. The treaty allows for the confiscation of these illegal copies and the imposition of penalties on those responsible for their production and distribution.

These examples illustrate how the Geneva Phonograms Convention helps to protect the rights of phonorecord producers and prevent the unauthorized duplication and distribution of their works.