World-Renowned Creators Call on Policymakers to Take Action

25 September, 2014

Yesterday, in a special lobbying event organised by the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC), a panel of six internationally renowned creators spoke, for the first time, to the UN’s World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) at their 54th General Assemblies about their priorities, concerns and vision for the future of copyright. 

Titled “A Sustainable Future for Authors”, the panel included Jean Michel Jarre (Electronic Music Composer and President of CISAC); Hervé Di Rosa (Visual Artist from France, Vice-President of French visual art society ADAGP and Chair of CIAGP, the International Council for Visual Arts); Angèle Diabang (Director and Screenwriter from Senegal); Daphna Levin (TV Screenwriter and Director from Israel); Vinod Ranganath (Playwright, Screenwriter and Director from India); and Eddie Schwartz (Songwriter, Co-Chair of Music Creators North American (MCNA) and President of the Songwriters Association of Canada). WIPO’s Director General, Francis Gurry joined the panellists to conclude the discussion.

The panel emphasised to policy-makers the important role of creators in the new digital economy. It focused on the power of creativity as a source of economic development; the need to secure a sustainable creative eco-system; the crucial role of collective management in the digital world; and the need for a dialogue between all stakeholders on business models that ensure fair remuneration for creators.

On Monday evening, at the Inauguration of WIPO’s new conference hall, Jean Michel Jarre gave a passionate keynote speech on the importance of authors’ rights and the contribution of creators to cultural, social and economic welfare. Jarre then brought to the stage two performers, Susana Baca from Peru and Ismael Lo from Senegal, who performed in front of a large audience of Ministers of Culture, ambassadors and diplomats from WIPO’s 187 Member States.

For more information on this special event, please click here.

CISAC protects the rights and promotes the interests of creators and rights holders worldwide and with a membership of 230 authors’ societies in 120 countries, including the AWG, CISAC indirectly represents over 3 million creators from all geographies and artistic fields including music, audio-visual, drama, literature, and visual arts.

CISAC’s role is to enable authors’ societies to seamlessly represent creators across the globe and to ensure that royalties flow to authors for the use of their works anywhere in the world.

In 2012, royalties collected by CISAC's member societies in their respective national territories topped €7.8 billion.

For more information on CISAC visit:  www.cisac.org