<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)"><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Wingdings;
panose-1:5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.EmailStyle24
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
/* List Definitions */
@list l0
{mso-list-id:158891026;
mso-list-template-ids:275534916;}
@list l0:level1
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l0:level2
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:o;
mso-level-tab-stop:1.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
@list l0:level3
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:1.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l0:level4
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:2.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l0:level5
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:2.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l0:level6
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:3.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l0:level7
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:3.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l0:level8
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:4.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l0:level9
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:4.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
ol
{margin-bottom:0in;}
ul
{margin-bottom:0in;}
--></style></head><body bgcolor="white" lang="EN-US" link="blue" vlink="purple" style="word-wrap:break-word"><div class="WordSection1"><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><div style="border:none;border-top:solid #e1e1e1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in"><p class="MsoNormal"><b>From:</b> Sean Flynn <<a href="mailto:sflynn@wcl.american.edu">sflynn@wcl.american.edu</a>> <br><b>Sent:</b> Monday, March 15, 2021 5:56 PM<br><b>To:</b> Leti Kleyn <<a href="mailto:leti.kleyn@up.ac.za">leti.kleyn@up.ac.za</a>><br><b>Subject:</b> For Endorsement: Statement on Copyright and WTO COVID Waiver</p></div><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><table class="MsoNormalTable" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%" style="width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse"><tr><td width="100%" valign="top" style="width:100.0%;background:#f6f6f6;padding:11.25pt 0in 11.25pt 0in"><table class="MsoNormalTable" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%" style="width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse"><tr><td width="100%" valign="top" style="width:100.0%;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in"><div align="center"><table class="MsoNormalTable" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="600" style="width:6.25in;background:white;border-collapse:collapse"><tr><td style="padding:11.25pt 11.25pt 11.25pt 11.25pt"><table class="MsoNormalTable" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%" style="width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse"><tr><td width="15" style="width:11.25pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in"></td><td width="540" valign="top" style="width:405.0pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in"><table class="MsoNormalTable" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%" style="width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse"><tr><td style="padding:0in 0in 0in 0in"><p style="margin:0in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#333333">The undersigned sponsors invite broad dissemination of the Statement on Copyright and Proposal of a Waiver from Certain Provisions of the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement for the Prevention, Containment and Treatment of COVID-19 (IP/C/W/669) for endorsements through March 18, 2021.</span></p><p style="margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:0in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#333333">We will formally release the statement to the WTO and to the public (with a broadly circulated press release) on March 22.</span></p><p style="margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:0in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#333333">The full statement text (with citations) is available at: Statement on WTO TRIPS Waiver <a name="https___tinyurl_TRIPSWaiverComm2"></a><a href="http://go2.mailengine1.com/click/fof6-2dgd7b-pp2ct-f30bxtq0/"><span style="mso-bookmark:https___tinyurl_TRIPSWaiverComm2"><span style="color:#7f7f7f">https://tinyurl.com/TRIPSWaiverComm2</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:https___tinyurl_TRIPSWaiverComm2"></span></a></span></p><p style="margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:0in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#333333">Endorsements are being collected at <a name="https___form_jotform_pijip_CopyrightWaiv"></a><a href="http://go2.mailengine1.com/click/fof6-2dgd7b-pp2cu-f30bxtq1/"><span style="mso-bookmark:https___form_jotform_pijip_CopyrightWaiv"><span style="color:#7f7f7f">https://form.jotform.com/pijip/CopyrightWaiverStatement</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:https___form_jotform_pijip_CopyrightWaiv"></span></a></span></p><p style="margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:0in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#333333">Endorsements are being sought by non-commercial organizations and any individual.</span></p><p style="margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:0in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#333333"> </span></p><p style="margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:0in"><strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#333333">Statement on Copyright and Proposal of a Waiver from Certain Provisions of the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement for the Prevention, Containment and Treatment of COVID-19 (IP/C/W/669)</span></strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#333333"></span></p><p style="margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:0in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#333333"> </span></p><p style="margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:0in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#333333">For public release: March 22, 2021</span></p><p style="margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:0in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#333333">Open for Endorsements: March 11, 2021 - March 18, 2021 - <a href="http://go2.mailengine1.com/click/fof6-2dgd7b-pp2cv-f30bxtq2/"><span style="color:#7f7f7f">https://form.jotform.com/pijip/CopyrightWaiverStatement</span></a></span></p><p style="margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:0in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#333333"> </span></p><p style="margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:0in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#333333">We support the work and interests of millions of researchers, educators, libraries, archives and museums around the world who are contributing to the prevention, containment and treatment of the COVID-19 pandemic through their promotion of access to knowledge.</span></p><p style="margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:0in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#333333">We applaud the efforts of World Trade Organization (WTO) Members to address copyright barriers to an equitable response to COVID-19.</span></p><p style="margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:0in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#333333">Access to copyrighted works, in addition to patent and know-how, is needed to prevent and contain COVID-19 and to develop treatments.</span></p><p style="margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:0in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#333333">COVID-19 has aggravated deep inequalities in access to knowledge. In some countries with flexible copyright systems, residents are able to access and use essential materials in remote educational, learning and research activities, virtually access and use the collections of libraries and other institutions, and contribute to research on treatments using advanced processes such as text and data mining.</span></p><p style="margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:0in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#333333">But these activities are not taking place everywhere because they are not lawful everywhere.</span></p><p style="margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:0in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#333333">In too many countries, copyright laws do not enable remote digital uses of works for essential activities. Educational uses are too often limited to activities “within” educational institutions or in “face to face” teaching. Uses of the collections of libraries and other public repositories are often limited to “the premises” of such institutions.</span></p><p style="margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:0in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#333333">In too many countries, researchers lack the rights they need to use the most advanced research methodologies, such as text and data mining, to help find and develop treatments to COVID-19. Indeed, the virus itself was discovered by a text and data mining research project that would not be lawful in many countries.</span></p><p style="margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:0in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#333333">Inequity in the possibilities to use products of knowledge and culture violates the right to health, to receive and impart information, to education, to participate in cultural life, and to benefit from scientific progress. </span></p><p style="margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:0in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#333333">We strongly support international solidarity in addressing the copyright barriers to the prevention, containment and treatment of COVID-19. It is critical that research and other resources are made available immediately everywhere in the world to use and build upon. Removing legal barriers to knowledge is a key complement to efforts to remove patent and other barriers needed for the massive, urgent scale-up of vaccine production.</span></p><p style="margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:0in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#333333">We urge all WTO Members to endorse the TRIPS waiver proposal, including provisions on copyright. Such a move will reflect the emergency that COVID-19 presents. It will give vital reassurance to governments that they may issue urgent edicts, adopt emergency interpretations of their laws, and amend and otherwise overcome copyright hurdles to access to knowledge needed to address the pandemic. </span></p><p style="margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:0in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#333333">Adopting the TRIPS waiver is not enough. We call on the WTO and other agencies in charge of promoting the public interest in access to and production of knowledge to act urgently to further guide countries in addressing copyright barriers to access to knowledge that have been illuminated and magnified by COVID-19. Specifically, we call for urgent action to clarify that all copyright and related rights treaties, including the copyright provisions of the TRIPS Agreement:</span></p><ul type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:#333333"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Can and should be interpreted and implemented to respect the primacy of human rights obligations during the pandemic and other emergencies, including the rights to seek, receive and impart information, to education, and to freely participate in cultural life and share in scientific advancement and its benefits, while protecting the moral and material interests of authors;</span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:#333333"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Permit governments to protect and promote vital public interests during a health or other emergency;</span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="color:#333333"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Permit governments to carry forward and appropriately extend into the digital environment limitations and exceptions that are appropriate in the digital network environment, particularly during a health or other emergency. </span></li></ul><p style="margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:0in"><strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Signatories </span></strong><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#333333"></span></p><p style="margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:0in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">[see endorsements at </span><a name="https___tinyurl_TRIPSWaiverComm2_2"></a><a href="http://go2.mailengine1.com/click/fof6-2dgd7b-pp2cw-f30bxtq3/"><span style="mso-bookmark:https___tinyurl_TRIPSWaiverComm2_2"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#7f7f7f">https://tinyurl.com/TRIPSWaiverComm2</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:https___tinyurl_TRIPSWaiverComm2_2"></span></a><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#333333">]</span></p></td></tr></table></td><td width="15" style="width:11.25pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in"></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></td></tr></table><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:13.5pt;background:white"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#666666">You are subscribed to this email as <a href="mailto:leti.kleyn@up.ac.za">leti.kleyn@up.ac.za</a>.<br>Click here to modify your <a href="http://go2.mailengine1.com/form?2dgd7b--102es-f30bxtq9&sl=2tj&t=1&ac=fof6"><span style="color:#666666">preferences</span></a> or <a href="http://go2.mailengine1.com/form?2dgd7b--102es-f30bxtq9&sl=2tj&t=5&ac=fof6"><span style="color:#666666">unsubscribe</span></a>.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><img border="0" width="5" height="5" style="width:.052in;height:.052in" id="_x0000_i1025" src="http://go2.mailengine1.com/open/fof6-2dgd7b--f30bxtq1/img.gif"></p></div></body></html>
<br>
<div style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif">This message and attachments are subject to a disclaimer.<br>
Please refer to <a href="http://upnet.up.ac.za/services/it/documentation/docs/004167.pdf" target="_blank">http://upnet.up.ac.za/<wbr>services/it/documentation/<wbr>docs/004167.pdf</a> </span><span style="font-size:10pt;line-height:105%;font-family:Tahoma,sans-serif">for
full details.</span></div>