ERRA strengthens global activities at Thessaloniki International Book Fair

SHARJAH: The Emirates Reprographic Rights Management Association (ERRA) participated in the ‘Thessaloniki International Book Fair’ in Greece, held from May 16 to 19, as part of the Sharjah’s ‘Guest of Honor’ programme.

The ERRA showcased its achievements as the first institution in the region concerned with protecting the reprographic rights of creative writers and publishers.

During its participation for the second year in a row, the ERRA delegation introduced the association and the pioneering role it plays in protecting the reprographic rights of publications and written works. It shared its expertise and knowledge with collective management organisations managing copyrights and intellectual property rights in Greece, as well as explored prospects for enhancing joint cooperation in this field.

As part of its participation programme, the association organised a session, titled ‘Collective Management Organisations and their Role in Protecting Creators’ Rights’, with the participation of Mohammed bin Dukhain, President of the Association, Majd Al Shehhi, Director of the Association, and George Andrew, representative of the Greek reprographic rights collective management organisation OSDEL. The session addressed the Emirati experience in preserving creative rights through collective management organisations, specifically reprographic rights, and discussed international experiences with the focus on the Greek experience that started this organisation in 1996.

The association’s programme also included meetings with the relevant Greek and international institutions participating in the fair to discuss the prospects for enhancing Emirati-Greek cooperation in the field of reprographic right preservation and exchange of experiences and agreements. During its participation in the fair, the association seeks to review the latest international experiences in the field of rights protection and explore opportunities for cooperation to serve its endeavours in protecting the rights of, and representing, writers and publishers on a global scale.

The ERRA’s participation in this event comes in line with its efforts to adopt the best global practices in reprographic right protection. The association works to manage the reprographic rights of literary works that are contractually transferred and issue licenses for educational institutions and other organisations to reuse printed and digital works, which helps spread knowledge across the UAE while preserving the rights of creators.