Policymakers, Creators and Key Industry Leaders Address Creative Rights in Digital Era at Opening of World Copyright Summit

Washington, D.C. (June 9, 2009) - CISAC (International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers) today kicks-off their second annual World Copyright Summit: New Frontiers for Creators in the Marketplace. The two-day summit is the only international forum that brings together creators, rights organizations and guilds, content service providers, broadcasters, telecommunications operators, hardware manufacturers, legal experts and policymakers to debate the future of copyright and the distribution of creative works in the digital era.

The summit opens with an address by U.S. Senator Orrin G. Hatch regarding copyright and intellectual property issues, and the potential effects of legislation on right owners. Senator Hatch, Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights, has a personal connection to the issue as he is also a platinum-level songwriter. The lunch keynote features Congressman Robert Wexler, Chairman of the House Intellectual Property Caucus, Member of the House Judiciary Committee and Chairman of the Europe Subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Summit attendees include over 650 delegates from 20 different countries. The two-day agenda features over 100 speakers who will address and debate myriad intellectual property and copyright issues.

"It’s essential that all stakeholders involved in the digital industry in the U.S. and abroad have a unified voice in recognizing the role and value of creative works," said Eric Baptiste, director general of CISAC. "We are excited to be able to foster a constructive dialogue here in Washington among a global community of creators, industry leaders and policymakers to address the common challenges and seek out a new approach for financing the creative industries. We hope to ensure that the new digital economy protects the value of creative rights while responding to the needs of users and consumers."

Today’s line-up of speakers from the creative arts include: world renowned U.S. painter and sculptor Frank Stella; U.S. songwriter and performer Lamont Dozier; U.S. songwriter, recording artist and actor Paul Williams; French visual artist and painter Hervé Di Rosa; Mexican musician and composer Armando Manzanero; Spanish screenwriter and director Fernando Trueba; Ethiopian author Dinaw Mengestu; and Norwegian composer and saxophonist Bendik Hofseth.

Keynote industry leaders speaking today include: Chairman and CEO of Universal Music Publishing Group David Renzer; President of Bertelsmann Digital Media Investments and former chairman of the Association of American Publishers Richard Sarnoff; Law professor and author of "The Gridlock Economy Michael Heller;" and many other industry leaders representing Copyright Alliance, DiMA (Digital Media Association), ICMP (International Confederation of Music Publishers), NAB (National Association of Broadcasters), Public Knowledge, RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America), Sony/ATV and YouTube, as well as leading music rights organizations ASCAP, BMI, HFA, PRS for Music and SESAC. The Writers Guild of America, WGA, French audiovisual rights society SACD, and visual arts societies ARS, ADAGP and Viscopy will also be in attendance.

Day one of the Summit includes a dozen round table discussions aimed at building a constructive dialogue about the importance of copyright protection and the distribution of creative works, as well as other issues of importance to intellectual property and creative content online, including:

• The US agenda for copyright and intellectual property: Are the expectations from creators, rights-owners and DSPs in line with the priorities of policy-makers?
• Visions for the future of creative industries
• Is collective licensing a relevant system for the 21st century?
• Online piracy and ISPs’ responsibility: Can the French "graduated response" model apply to the US and elsewhere?
• The continuing erosion of the value of copyright - Finding new revenue streams for creators and creative industries
• How the digital media environment is providing common threats and opportunities to all creative repertoires
• Creators discussing the digital revolution: Has it changed the professional environment and the way goods are created?
• What is the artist re-sale right and should it be a universal right?

The 2009 World Copyright Summit is organized by CISAC and supported by rights organizations and numerous partner organizations. The Copyright Summit Advisory Committee includes CISAC members in the United States: AMRA (American Mechanical Rights Agency); ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers); BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.); NMPA (National Music Publishers’ Association); SESAC; DGA (Directors Guild of America); WGA (Writers Guild of America); ARS (Artists Rights Society); VAGA (Visual Artists and Galleries Association); and The Authors Registry for literary rights.

For more information about CISAC’s World Copyright Summit, detailed conference program and updates on today’s roundtables, please visit www.copyrightsummit.com.

About CISAC, the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers
CISAC aims to increase both the recognition and protection of creators’ rights worldwide. In a global and digital world, CISAC’s main missions are to reinforce the international network of copyright societies, to be the spokesperson for creators and their societies in all international debates and to reassert authors’ inalienable right to live by their creative work. With a membership of 222 authors’ societies in 118 countries, CISAC is an international NGO and represents more than 2.5 million creators and publishers of artistic works in all genres including music, audiovisual, drama, literature, photography and the visual arts. In 2007, the royalties collected by CISAC's member societies in their respective territories topped $9.7 billion (7.141€).
For more information, please visit www.cisac.org

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Media Contact Kaci Farrell, APCO Worldwide +1 (202) 778 1305k farrell@apcoworldwide.com

Marianne Rollet, CISAC +33 (0) 6 22 51 61 12 marianne.rollet@cisac.org Adeline Deliau, Aspect +33 (0) 43 59 29 87 adeline@aspectconsulting.eu