Advocating for a world where intellectual
property law serves the public interest.

Limitations and Exceptions in the U.S. Special 301 Report 2025

Sean Flynn, Lokesh Vyas and Luca Schirru The first Special 301 Report under the Trump Administration was released last month: 2025 Special 301 Report (final).pdf. The report always gives insight into the administration’s trade priorities1. How the Trump Administration will approach intellectual property matters is a bit of a mystery with its trade policy positions […]

The Importance of Copyright Exceptions for Teachers and Learners

by Dr. Mugwena Maluleke, President of Education International (EI) and General Secretary of the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU) On 21 May 2025, the Constitutional Court in South Africa will consider the constitutionality of the Copyright Amendment Bill passed by parliament in 2019 and again in 2024. The new Bill introduces exceptions and limitations […]

South African apex court recognises the “constitutional imperatives of equality and dignity for persons with disabilities” in landmark copyright judgment 

On 7 May 2025, the Constitutional Court of South Africa handed down judgment in Blind SA v President of the Republic of South Africa and Others [2025] ZACC 9 (‘Blind SA II’). The judgment read-in an immediately operational accessible format shifting provision for people with all disabilities across the spectrum as well as expressly providing […]

The Unclear Status of Copyright Exceptions and Limitations in the UK-India Free Trade Agreement 

Jonathan Band On May 6, 2025, the United Kingdom (UK) and India announced that they had reached agreement on a bilateral free trade deal that includes a chapter on intellectual property.However, no agreement text was released. Rather, the UK Department for Business & Trade issued a summary of the agreement’s terms, and the summary acknowledged that “work is continuing to finalise the legal text and resolve the […]

Why Limitations and Exceptions Still Deserve a Bigger Role at WIPO CDIP

By Andres Izquierdo As WIPO’s Committee on Development and Intellectual Property (CDIP) prepares to meet for its 34th session this May, an important question is back on the table: Are we doing enough to support access to knowledge, culture, and education through copyright limitations and exceptions? These legal flexibilities—designed to enable libraries, educators, researchers, and […]

A Step Forward: World Intellectual Property Organization’s Copyright Committee Inches Forward on Broadcast and Limitations

The Forty-Sixth Session of the World Intellectual Property Organization’s Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR) concluded with modest but meaningful progress on key agenda items, including on the Broadcasting Treaty, the limitations and exceptions (L&Es) agenda and the agenda item on copyright remuneration in the digital environment. The SCCR was Chaired by Vanessa […]