available on-line, as well as
"dossiers" on current events and archives equipped with a search engine to find
information from previous issues. We are also witnessing the first steps of an
on-line press which would be different from the paper version and would have its
own criteria. Some publishers of specialized periodicals, as well as academic
and research works, are thinking about becoming "only" electronic to escape the
paper publishing crisis, or making only small print runs when necessary.

Besides this gigantic and lively encyclopedia, the people working in these
different fields can increase exchanges thanks to electronic mail and discussion
forums. For once, a (relatively) cheap new tool permits people to communicate
quickly and worldwide with no concern for time and boundaries.

The disruption of the print media by the Internet has led to new perspectives
for intellectual property and regulations about cyberspace. The so-called
"multimedia convergence" has led to major changes in jobs. We are living the
first years of the information society. Will this society provide any changes
for the better?

9.2. Intellectual Property

The massive arrival of electronic texts on the Web is a real problem for
applying the rules relating to intellectual property. Digital libraries, for
example, would like to post commercial documents but can't do so yet, until
there is a system allowing the surfer to pay the equivalent royalties. With a
few clicks, any text or article posted on the Internet can be very easily
retrieved and copied - much more easily than by photocopying - without its
author being paid for the use of his text. And what about all the hyperlinks
giving access to all kinds of documents from one website?

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), an intergovernmental
organization which is one of the 16 specialized agencies of the United Nations
System of Organizations, says on its website:

"As regards the number of literary and artistic works created worldwide, it is
difficult to make a precise estimate. However, the information available
indicates that at present around 1,000,000 books/titles are published and some
5,000 feature films are produced in a year, and the number of copies of
phonograms sold per year presently is more than 3,000 million."

WIPO is responsible for the promotion of the protection of intellectual property
throughout the world through cooperation among States, and for t