Authors' Rights in the Digital Age: A Fair Deal for Journalists

 EFJ SEMINAR

Thessaloniki, Greece

  11 - 12 December, 2010

Journalists' authors' rights are under serious threats everywhere in Europe.

Concerns are manifold:

• increasing use of journalistic content without permission (including orphan works) on different media formats;

• lack of remuneration for re-use of their work;

• piracy and plagiarism,
  
• manipulation of images,
• deep media budget cuts,
  
• national governments' attempts to introduce copyright-like regimes,
  
• weakening of collective bargaining and wide disparities in the functioning of collective societies.
  

The situation of freelancers, including press photographers, is particularly sensitive. They often remain excluded from collective bargaining, and face clear difficulties when negotiating the re-use of their works.

What can be done to fight back against threats over authors' rights in Europe?

With the financial support of the European Commission, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), will hold a two-day seminar to discuss these issues and reinforce EFJ's affiliates' strategy for strengthening journalists' authors' rights.

The EFJ seminar on Authors' Rights in the Digital Age: A Fair Deal for Journalists will take place in Thessaloniki, Greece from 11 to 12 December 2010 and will be hosted by the Journalists' Union of Macedonia and Thrace Daily Newspapers.

The seminar will address the latest developments affecting journalists' authors' rights in the digital age. It aim to seek examples of best practices among unions to respond to the challenge. The seminar will contribute to reinforcing the EFJ and its affiliates' strategy in strengthening authors' rights protection for media professionals and ensuring that they receive a fair payment for the use of their works.

Collective bargaining and collecting societies will be the subject of two workshops. The working languages of the seminar will be English, French and Greek.

You can now download all the papers, presentations and supporting documents of the conference.

 NEW! The Right Thing: An Authors' Rights Handbook for Journalists  (download now in English and French)

Speakers and Presentations

Seminar Report (English/French)

EFJ Calls for Strong Authors' Rights Protection in the Digital World for all Journalists

Thessaloniki Conclusion (English/French)

COMING SOON

A manual for jounalists on authors' rights will be published in French and English in June.

NEW! IFJ AUTHORS' RIGHTS CAMPAIGN

Contact Yuk Lan Wong or Pamela Moriniere.

This project is funded by the European Commission and hosted by the the Journalists’ Union of Macedonia and Thrace Daily Newspapers.