Victor Vazquez World Intellectual Property Organization

Mr. Victor Vazquez was a Legal Counselor on International Relations, Copyright Unit, Ministry of Culture, Spain. For more than five years, he was a member of the EU Council Working Group of Experts on Copyright, taking part in the negotiations leading to the adoption of the resale right Directive (2001/84/CE) and the Copyright Directive (2001/29/CE). He also represented the Spanish Government on copyright matters before UNESCO, OCDE and WTO. In the same condition, he took part in numerous cooperation for development activities.

As the Spanish delegate to WIPO for copyright matters, he was deeply engaged in the negotiations leading to the adoption of the WIPO Internet Treaties. In December 1996, he was elected member of the Drafting Committee of the Diplomatic Conference on Certain Copyright and Related Rights Issues that adopted the WIPO Internet Treaties, WCT and WPPT. In December 2000, he was elected member of the Drafting Committee of the Diplomatic Conference for the Protection of Audiovisual Performances and contributed significantly to the provisional agreement reached in December 2000.

He has authored or contributed to a considerable number of publications on copyright and related right matters.

Victor has worked in WIPO since 2001, where he has focused, among other issues, on the protection of audiovisual performances and the interface between Copyright and technology. He is currently in charge of the Digital Future project, which, under the lead of Mr. C. Trevor Clarke, comprises issues related to copyright in the digital environment such as providing administrative support to the International Music Registry (IMR); the development of open licenses adapted to the UN agencies; the role and responsibility of Internet Intermediaries; the development of WIPO reviews of contractual considerations for different sectors, etc. He is also WIPO’s focal point for the UN Broadband Commission.