Copyright protection crucial for creative industries' future
Creators gathered at the second World Copyright Summit, on June 9 and 10 in Washington DC, asked for stronger copyright legislation and protection around the world to ensure the future of the creative industries. CISAC’s President Robin Gibb, opened and wrapped up the Summit reminding that, “Copyright is NOT a barrier. It is a facilitator of progress, creativity and communication. The existence of strong copyright will not stifle the development of the digital utopia which Google, Microsoft and others promise. Copyright will promote such development. Without copyright you have chaos and this is a far greater barrier to progress.” The World Copyright Summit was organized by CISAC (International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers) on June 9 and 10, 2009 at the Ronald Reagan Center in Washington DC. Attended by over 610 delegates from 250 companies and 65 different countries, the two-day Summit included keynotes and round table discussions focused on the need for global collaboration in addressing the challenges of creative industries in the digital era and building a constructive dialogue about the importance of copyright protection and the distribution of creative works. Robin Gibb’s plea for stronger copyright protection was backed by several high-profile legislators from the U.S. and other countries. Many positive ideas came out of the discussions in Washington, DC.