World-Renowned Creators, Political Leaders and Key Industry Players Convened at World Copyright Summit in Brussels, June 7-8, 2011
World famous creators, rights organisations, music and books publishers, TV and film producers, interior designers, policy makers, media and content providers, ISPs and telecom operators, hardware manufacturers, legal and technology experts, met to exchange ideas and debate about the future of intellectual property and creative content (music, books, movies, pictures,…) in the digital environment.
After the first edition in Brussels in 2007, the follow-up World Copyright Summit, held in Washington, DC in 2009, drew over 600 delegates from 290 companies and 68 countries. The 2011 Summit attracted a similar audience. The next one will take place in Washington D.C. on the 4 & 5 June 2013.
2011 Keynote Speakers included:
-Robin Gibb, legendary singer and songwriter of the Bee Gees CISAC President and SBID IP Ambassador (Society of British Interior Design)
-Francis Gurry, WIPO Director General (World Intellectual Property Organisation), (interviewed by Eric Baptiste, SOCAN CEO)
-Michel Barnier, European Commissioner for Internal Market and Services
-Hervé Di Rosa, French visual artist and CISAC Vice-President
-Roger Faxon, EMI Group CEO, interviewed by Paul Williams, songwriter and ASCAP President and Chairman of the Board
-Ivo Josipović, President of Croatia and music composer
-Neelie Kroes, Vice President of the European Commission and European Commissioner for Digital Agenda
-Arnaud Nourry, Hachette Livre Chairman and CEO
The Summit considered and debated global concerns facing the creative industries. While the capacity to access content now seems endless and, from a consumer’s perspective, almost at no cost, where and how can value be extracted from the usage and dissemination of content?
- What are the models that will deliver significant value and remuneration for rights owners? Is the answer in the ‘Cloud’?
- What are the best systems to ensure that rights owners are properly compensated?
- What is the role of ISPs?
- Where do creators fit into this new eco-system?
The Summit provided the ideal platform to discuss the issues in a forward-thinking way with all the stakeholders represented. Views from a wide variety of perspectives, especially those of creators who are also campaigners provided a view from the coal face due to the nature of CISAC’s membership, which includes authors’ societies and guilds active in all creative fields – music, audio-visual, literary, and visual arts.
Taking place in Brussels -Square Brussels Meeting Centre- the capital of the European Union, the 2011 Summit will have a strong European flavour. The slogan for the World Copyright Summit, “Creating value in the digital economy”, reflected the three main themes addressed during the two-day conference:
-Create: The global eco-system for creators and creative industries
-Connect: The digital economy and new business models
-Respect: Authors’ rights and the legislative & social environment
“The voices of creators are seldom heard on copyright issues in the digital age, their participation is what makes the World Copyright Summit a unique even. In Europe at least, the system of collective rights management is at a crossroads. The way forward for the collective rights management and creative industries as a whole will not come from seizing upon short-term commercial advantage, but from allowing the development of a system that is sustainable because it is fair to all.” Robin Gibb CBE, CISAC President, SBID IP AMBASSADOR
“The new digital economy would not exist without the works of creators; the future is based on the right balance between creators’ and users’ rights. This is what we mean with our “Create – Connect – Respect” tagline for this 2011 Summit” Robert Hooijer, Interim Director General of CISAC
“It is essential that the creative industries adapt to the reality of digital technology and the Internet. Legal and business mechanisms for creating value must align with the expectations of actors in the digital environment, We need to be creative about different industries, and to analyse the different value chains of production so as to ensure that those involved in authoring and marketing content are adequately remunerated and sustained.” Francis Gurry, WIPO Director General
The 2011 World Copyright Summit organised by CISAC was supported by numerous organisations (partner and advisory committee), which represents every sector of the industry:
BASCAP (Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy); BIEM (International organisation representing mechanical rights societies); CEPIC (Coordination of European Picture Agencies Stock, Press and Heritage); ECSA (European Composer and Songwriter Alliance); EVA (European Visual Artists); EWC (European Writers’ Council); FEP (Federation of European Publishers)…
In 2011 SBID supported Rock the House created by Mike Weatherley Conservative MP for Portslade and Hove at the launch in the House of Commons and at a reception at the Embassy Club in London’s West End. In 2012 Robin Gibb CBE added his support to the initiative to promote creativity in the music industry.
In the summer of 2011 John Whittingdale, Media, Sport and Culture Minister attended an entertaining recital of Yes Prime Minister at the theatre with Robin Gibb CBE and Vanessa Brady each supporting the rights of creators to profit from their talent. SBID was invited through a government source to join various IP lobby groups to represent interior design, John Whittingdale suggested the Alliance among others. The SBID board of directors are still reviewing membership of the Alliance (Dec 2012). SBID is already and has been in consultation with the Intellectual Property Office, the World Intellectual Property Office, Parliament, CISAC and various other creative groups, organisations, governments and creative destinations since it was incorporated in 2009.
