WORLD TRADE WT/DS42/4
IP/D/4/Add.1
17November 1997
ORGANIZATION(97-5082)
Original: English
JAPAN -MEASURES CONCERNING SOUND RECORDINGS
Notification ofaMutually-Agreed Solution
Thefollowing communication, dated 7November 1997, from thePermanent Delegation of
theEuropean Commission andthePermanent Mission ofJapan totheDispute Settlement Body is
circulated inaccordance withArticle 12.12 oftheDSU.
_______________
TheEuropean Community anditsMember States andtheGovernment ofJapan wishtonotify
theDispute Settlement Body thattheyhavereached amutually satisfactory solution tothematter raised
bytheCommunity anditsMember States indocument WT/DS42/1, dated 4June1996, concerning
theprotection ofperformers andproducers ofsound recordings pursuant totheAgreement onTrade-
Related Aspects ofIntellectual Property Rights (TRIPs).
TheCommunity anditsMember States requested consultations inthebelief thattheTRIPs
Agreement requires Members oftheWorld Trade Organisation (WTO) tograntprotection toperformers
firstperforming inaWTO Member andtoproducers ofsound recordings firstfixedinaWTO Member
orfixed byanational ofaWTO Member foratermofatleast50years fromtheendofthecalendar
yearinwhich thefixation wasmade ortheperformance tookplace andthatthistermofprotection
should extend tothose existing recordings which havenotyetfallen intopublic domain inthecountry
oforigin orinthecountry where protection issought.
On26December 1996, theGovernment ofJapan promulgated amendments totheJapanese
Copyright Law, which entered intoforce on25March 1997 (Law No117). These amendments are
intended toprovide theabove-described protection toperformers andproducers ofsound recordings.
Based onthese developments, theCommunity anditsMember States andtheGovernment of
Japan agreed formally toterminate thedispute settlement proceedings withrespect tothisissue.
Therefore, theCommunity anditsMember States wishtowithdraw thematter fromfurther attention
under theprovisions oftheDispute Settlement Understanding.
Thisagreement iswithout prejudice totherights andobligations ofeither Member under the
WTO Agreements.