The Third Meeting of the FTAA Negotiating Group on Intellectual Property Rights was held in the city of Miami, United States of America, from 31 May to 2 June 1999, with the participation of delegations from: Andean Community (CAN), Canada, CARICOM, Chile, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, MERCOSUR, Mexico, Panama, and the United States of America. The Chair of the Group reported on the agreements reached during the First and Second Meetings of the Negotiating Group and the results of the second TNC meeting (reconvened), held in Miami in April 1999.

The deliberations of the Group covered all the items on the Agenda, herein attached, focusing their discussions on subjects related to the Most-Favored-Nation Clause, Copyright and Neighboring Rights, Protection of Folklore and Layout-Design (topographies) of Integrated Circuits.

As regards the subject of Copyright and Neighboring Rights, the following subitems were agreed to: definitions, reproduction right, distribution right, right of public communication, moral rights, term of protection, limitations and exceptions, protection of existing subject matter, neighboring rights. The latter includes the rights of artists and performers, rights of producers of phonograms and the right of broadcasting organizations. New subitems could be added in future meetings.

Likewise, the subject of the Protection of Folklore and Layout-Design (topographies) of Integrated Circuits will remain on the agenda of this Negotiating Group.

The Tripartite Committee informed the delegations as to the current status of the Intellectual Property Web site, which was entrusted to it at the last meeting of the Group.

The next meeting of the Negotiating Group will be held in Miami from 7-10 September 1999.
 

Miami, 2 June 1999

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This document was previously distributed in error as FTAA.ngip/com/02 dated June 2, 1999.
 

AGENDA