Professor Susy Frankel and Paul Sumpter have been reappointed to the Copyright Tribunal for a further five years, Commerce Minister Simon Power announced today.

"I am pleased that Professor Frankel and Mr Sumpter have been reappointed to the Copyright Tribunal," Mr Power said.

"They are acknowledged experts in the areas of copyright and intellectual property, and bring a broad judicial experience to their roles."

The Copyright Tribunal is a statutory body that resolves disputes between licensing bodies, or proposed licensing bodies, and those who hold or seek licenses in respect of works of copyright.

BACKGROUND

Susy Frankel is a Professor of Law at Victoria University.  In addition to her role as Chairperson of the Copyright Tribunal, she is a co-director on the New Zealand Centre of International Economic Law, Assistant Commissioner of Trade Marks, Patents and Designs for the Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand, and arbitrator and mediator of the World Intellectual Property Organization Arbitration and Mediation Centre.

Paul Sumpter has been a member of the Copyright Tribunal since 2004.  He is a senior lecturer in intellectual property with the University of Auckland Law School, and a consultant for Chapman Tripp.  He is a fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Patent Attorneys, Chairman of the New Zealand committee of the Intellectual Property Society of Australia and New Zealand, and convenor of the New Zealand Law Society committee for intellectual property legislation issues.

The Copyright Tribunal is a statutory body with jurisdiction to hear disputes under the Copyright Act 1994. Organisations or individuals who wish to use copyright works may apply to a licensing body, which establish licensing schemes on behalf of copyright owners, to grant a licence to use such copyright works.  Where a dispute arises between these parties, usually with respect to royalties, the matter can be referred to the tribunal.  It can choose whether or not to hear the case, and has the jurisdiction to confirm or vary the scheme as it sees fit. The tribunal consists of a Chair and two members, who are appointed by the Governor-General on the recommendation of the Minister of Commerce.