As described on WIPO's website under Copyright FAQ's: How are copyright and related rights protected on the Internet?, "Two treaties were concluded in 1996 at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva. One, the WIPO Copyright Treaty (WCT), deals with protection for authors of literary and artistic works, such as writings and computer programs; original databases; musical works; audiovisual works; works of fine art and photographs. The other, the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty (WPPT), protects certain 'related rights' (that is, rights related to copyright): in the WPPT, these are rights of performers and producers of phonograms.

"The purpose of the two treaties is to update and supplement the major existing WIPO treaties on copyright and related rights, primarily in order to respond to developments in technology and in the marketplace. Since the Berne and Rome Conventions were adopted or lastly revised more than a quarter century ago, new types of works, new markets, and new methods of use and dissemination have evolved. Among other things, both the WCT and the WPPT address the challenges posed by today's digital technologies, in particular the dissemination of protected material over digital networks such as the Internet. For this reason, they have sometimes been referred to as the 'Internet treaties.'

"Both treaties require countries to provide a framework of basic rights, allowing creators to control and/or be compensated for the various ways in which their creations are used and enjoyed by others. Most importantly, the treaties ensure that the owners of those rights will continue to be adequately and effectively protected when their works are disseminated through new technologies and communications systems such as the Internet. The treaties thus clarify that existing rights continue to apply in the digital environment. They also create new online rights. To maintain a fair balance of interests between the owners of rights and the general public, the treaties further clarify that countries have reasonable flexibility in establishing exceptions or limitations to rights in the digital environment. Countries may, in appropriate circumstances, grant exceptions for uses deemed to be in the public interest, such as for non-profit educational and research purposes.

"The treaties also require countries to provide not only the rights themselves, but also two types of technological adjuncts to the rights. These are intended to ensure that rightholders can effectively use technology to protect their rights and to license their works online. The first, known as the 'anti-circumvention' provision, tackles the problem of 'hacking': it requires countries to provide adequate legal protection and effective remedies against the circumvention of technological measures (such as encryption) used by rightholders to protect heir rights. The second type of technological adjuncts safeguards the reliability and integrity of the online marketplace by requiring countries to prohibit the deliberate alteration or deletion of electronic 'rights management information': that is, information which accompanies any protected material, and which identifies the work, its creators, performer, or owner, and the terms and conditions for its use..."

The WIPO Internet Treaties update and supplement the existing international treaties on copyright and related rights, namely, the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works and the Rome Convention for the Protection of Performers, Producers of Phonograms and Broadcasting Organizations.

The Internet Treaties respond to challenges posed by digital technologies and, in particular, the dissemination of protected material, including music and published text, over the Internet. Their contents can be divided into three parts:

1. incorporation of certain provisions of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights) (TRIPS Agreement) not previously included expressly in WIPO treaties (e.g., protection of computer programs and original databases as literary works under copyright law);
2. updates not specific to digital technologies (e.g., generalizing the right of communication to the public); and
3. provisions specifically addressing the impact of digital technologies.

Although the treaties establish benchmarks for the signatories to meet and thereby afford flexibility in implementation, these treaties go deep in international harmonization of digital intellectual property rights.

Some critics claim that the treaties were drafted with a bias favoring rights-holders. Others say anti-circumvention provisions may dampen technological innovation by criminalizing the development of tools that might possibly be used to circumvent digital rights management (DRM) controls.