Legal Definitions - WIPO Copyright Treaty

The WIPO Copyright Treaty, also known as WCT, is a treaty that was established in 1996. It made changes to the Berne Convention, which is an international agreement that sets out the basic rules for copyright protection. The WCT was created to address new copyright issues that arose due to the emergence of the Internet and other digital technologies.

The WIPO Copyright Treaty provides protection for computer software and databases. It also excludes certain things from copyright protection, such as ideas, procedures, methods of operation, or mathematical concepts.

For example, if someone creates a new software program, the WCT would protect their rights to that program. However, if someone has an idea for a new software program, that idea would not be protected by copyright law.

The WIPO Copyright Treaty was adopted at the same time as the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty. Both treaties were created to address the challenges posed by digital technology and to update international copyright laws.