WORLD TRADE WT/DS28/41
IP/D/1/Add.1
5February 1997
ORGANIZATION(97-0331)
Original: English
JAPAN -MEASURES CONCERNING SOUND RECORDINGS
Notification ofMutually Agreed Solution
Thefollowing communication, dated 24January 1997, from thePermanent Missions ofthe
United States andJapan totheDispute Settlement Body, iscirculated attherequest ofthose delegations.
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TheGovernmentsoftheUnitedStatesofAmericaandJapanwishtonotifytheDisputeSettlement
Body thattheyhavereached amutually satisfactory solution tothematter raised bytheGovernment
oftheUnited States inWT/DS28/1, dated 14February 1996, concerning theprotection ofpast
performances andexisting sound recordings pursuant totheAgreement onTrade-Related Aspects of
Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).
TheUnited States requested consultations onthebelief thattheTRIPS Agreement obligates
World Trade Organization (WTO) Members togrant protection topastperformances performed in
aWTO Member andexisting sound recordings firstfixed inaWTO Member orfixed byanational
ofaWTO Member foratermofatleastfiftyyears from theendofthecalendar yearinwhich the
performance tookplace orthesound recording wasfixed, andthatthistermofprotection should extend
tothose existing sound recordings thathavenotalready enjoyed afulltermofprotection inthecountry
oforigin orinthecountry inwhich protection issought.
On26December 1996, theGovernment ofJapan promulgated amendments totheJapanese
Copyright Lawintended toprovided theabove-stated protection topastperformances andexisting sound
recordings. These amendments arescheduled tocome intoeffect before theendofMarch 1997.
Based onthesedevelopments, Japan andtheUnited States haveagreed toterminate consultations
onthismatter andtheUnited States wishes formally towithdraw thismatter from further attention
under theprovisions oftheDispute Settlement Understanding. Theagreement iswithout prejudice
totherights orobligations ofeither Member under theAgreement Establishing theWorld Trade
Organization.
1Thisdocument cancels andreplaces thedocument WT/DS28/4, circulated on29January 1997.