Frankfurter Buchmesse announces partnership with the World Intellectual Property Organization
Aim to put intellectual property and the creative industries on the global agenda
Frankfurter Buchmesse and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the UN agency specializing in promoting innovation and creativity, are partnering to ensure that intellectual property issues are respected and promoted in the creative sector and in the international media and entertainment industries. A signing ceremony for the new partnership, attended by Juergen Boos and the Director General of WIPO Francis Gurry, and by Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Founder and CEO of Kalimat Group and Vice-President of the International Publishers Association - IPA, took place earlier this month. A video of the event is available here(opens in a new window).
Director of Frankfurter Buchmesse, Juergen Boos, explained: “We are delighted to be entering into this important partnership with WIPO at a time when the protection of intellectual property has never been more necessary. The emergence of new business fields, the convergence of media industries and the impact of digitalisation all means that the creative sectors are evolving at an extraordinary pace. As a result, we have a crucial role to play in ensuring that the topic of IP and the creative industries is high on the global agenda and that the relevant measures are put in place to secure the highest standards.”
Frankfurter Buchmesse and WIPO have joined forces to initiate discussions and develop measures to provide the best and most pertinent information on the protection of IP to the widest possible audience within the sector. This includes the dissemination of white papers and studies, and the organization of a programme of joint B2B events over the coming months. During the book fair from 14-18 October 2020, a collaborative virtual event will be organized to present the new Global Publishing Industry Report for 2020.
Director General of WIPO, Francis Gurry said: “Our Global Publishing Industry report is an important annual publication for our Member States and industry stakeholders alike. The trends will help to inform governments, publishers and creators on changes in the market place, thus supporting informed policy and investment decisions. We are really pleased that this collaboration with the Frankfurt Book Fair will further build the global debate on this subject matter.”
Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi said “This has been a year of challenges for content creators and rights owners worldwide, so this partnership could not be more timely. It is by pulling in the same direction that we will give intellectual property protection due prominence. This is why WIPO and the IPA jointly produce the annual Global Publishing Industry report, why we work together on the Board of the Accessible Books Consortium, and why the two organizations will discuss the European Accessibility Act at Frankfurter Buchmesse this year.”
The Global Publishing Industry Report, an annual survey of global publishing activity, compiled by WIPO and the International Publishers Association (IPA), covers three market segments: retail, educational and scholarly, academic and scientific publishing. Targeted at national publishers’ associations and copyright authorities, the report offers a vital window into international patterns and trends.
During the event in Frankfurt, discussions will take place on the adaptation of comic characters in the US. New research by WIPO has documented the re-use of comic characters across the book, movie and video game publishing industries, relying on a variety of data sources. The research also looks into the role played by copyright and trademarks in the creative re-use process, which will be further explored during the event with experts and stakeholders.
An international outlook on publishing, creative content and IP
Wednesday, 14 October, 11:00am (CEST); by WIPO, IPA and FBM
Speakers will be announced soon.
More information: www.buchmesse.de/conference. To access the livestream, please register once via My Book Fair: https://services.book-fair.com/login(opens in a new window)
About the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is the global forum for intellectual property policy, services, information and cooperation. A specialized agency of the United Nations, WIPO assists its 193 member states in developing a balanced international IP legal framework to meet society's evolving needs. It provides business services for obtaining IP rights in multiple countries and resolving disputes. It delivers capacity-building programs to help developing countries benefit from using IP. And it provides free access to unique knowledge banks of IP information.