Legal Definitions - Phonograms Convention

The Phonograms Convention, also known as the Geneva Phonograms Convention, is a treaty that was created 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 drafted by representatives from WIPO (World Intellectual PropertyOrganization) and UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) to address weaknesses in the Rome Convention.

For example, if a music producer creates a phonogram (a recording of music), the Phonograms Convention ensures that their work is protected from unauthorized duplication or piracy. This means that if someone tries to make copies of the recording without permission, they can face legal consequences.