One of our roles at Creative Commons involves influencing policy making at the international level.

This is a role we can fulfill notably thanks to our permanent observer status with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the UN agency that shapes international intellectual property (IP) law.

However, a few days ago, the Wikimedia Foundation’s application to become a WIPO observer was halted.

The Wikimedia Foundation, the organization behind the well-known free online encyclopedia Wikipedia, has made remarkable strides in advancing the goal of ensuring universal access to knowledge, a goal that Creative Commons fully shares.

Its voice in the policy arena echoes the legitimate interests of the public and of society as a whole, and this voice must be heard in order to achieve a fair and balanced IP system. 

We therefore fully support the organization’s application to join us as a WIPO observer, and hope this situation can be resolved swiftly.

Together, we share the goal to unlock knowledge for everyone, everywhere.