Academic Librarianship and Information Research

Academic Librarianship and Information Research

Identification and Validation of the Potential Consequences of Iran’s Accession to International Copyright Treaties: A Delphi Approach

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
Negin Pashootan 1
Dariush Matlabi 2
Nadjla Hariri 1
Sattar Zarkalam 3
Fahimeh Babalhavaeji 1
1 Faculty of Humanities, Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch, Tehran, Iran.
2 Faculty of Humanities, Islamic Azad University, Yadegar-e-Imam Khomeini (RAH) Shar-e Rey Branch, Tehran, Iran.
3 Faculty of Humanities, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran.
10.22059/jlib.2025.403196.1795
Abstract
Objective: This study aims to identify and validate the consequences of Iran’s accession to international copyright treaties.
Method: This applied qualitative research employed the integrative review method (Sandelowski & Barroso), through which 51 sources were identified. Meta-synthesis was used to identify concepts and categories, and the Delphi method to validate the consequences. The findings were extracted using open coding, then categorized into concepts, and finally organized into thematic clusters. The consequences were validated using a two-round Delphi method. The research population comprised 23 individuals, including publishers, copyright specialists, software developers, game designers, web developers, and cultural practitioners. Data were analyzed using mean scores, standard deviation, and coefficient of variation.
Results: Using the integrative review method, 36 concepts in 10 economic clusters, 81 concepts in 19 cultural clusters, 16 concepts in 5 political clusters, and 14 concepts in 2 legal clusters were extracted. The first Delphi round showed that most clusters had a mean above 4 and low coefficient of variation. The clusters “dependence of the cultural economy on free international works”, “reinforcement of Western cultural dominance”, “economic harms to creative industries”, and “reduction of translated works” were less important, while “facilitating accession to the World Trade Organization”, “participation in global markets”, and “legal and judicial support for creators’ rights” achieved the highest consensus. In the second round, most clusters reached the consensus threshold; however, the clusters “reinforcement of Western cultural dominance”, “decline in production quality due to reduced access to international works”, “reduction of translated works”, and “mandatory support for foreign works” were rejected.
Conclusions: Iran’s accession to international copyright treaties creates opportunities such as economic growth, strengthening cultural industries, and enhancing international relations, although challenges such as increased costs and cultural dominance are also likely. Effective utilization requires strategic policymaking and attention to local considerations.
Keywords
copyright
berne convention
world trade organization
TRIPS agreement
consequences of accession to international treaties
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Academic Librarianship and Information Research
Volume 59, Issue 3
Summer 2025
Pages 1-24