Sharjah24: In a strategic move reaffirming its commitment to safeguarding creators’ rights and fostering global partnerships in reprographic rights protection, the Emirates Reprographic Rights Management Association (ERRA) has signed two new agreements with the Indian Reprographic Rights Organisation and the Hong Kong Reprographic Rights Licensing Society. This collaboration follows the resounding success of the inaugural International Reprographic Rights Conference, recently held in Sharjah, where dynamic discussions laid the groundwork for robust global partnerships in this vital field.
The partnership aims to facilitate the exchange of protected creative content among the three entities, ensuring that authors and publishers receive fair remuneration for the use of their works. These agreements reflect the signatories' commitment to compensating rights holders in both India and Hong Kong, while also developing more efficient mechanisms to safeguard intellectual property, especially in the face of challenges posed by the digital revolution.
Empowering creativity and creators
Majd Al Shehhi, Director of Emirates Reprographic Rights Management Association (ERRA), highlighted that this collaboration strengthens the association’s role in protecting creators' rights both in the UAE and internationally while raising awareness of the importance of reprographic rights in advancing the publishing sector and supporting creativity.
She stated: "This partnership marks a significant step towards empowering creators to monetise their intellectual output fairly and sustainably. Strengthening international cooperation is essential to ensuring the sustainability of the publishing sector and fostering creativity in the digital era, which demands innovative strategies for intellectual property protection."
She further noted that this initiative reinforces the association’s position as a key player in supporting the creative economy and expanding its global network with organisations dedicated to reprographic rights protection.
Pranav Gupta, representative of the Indian Reprographic Rights Organisation, expressed his enthusiasm about the agreement, stating:
"This initiative is a major boost for international cooperation in protecting authors' and publishers' rights. The exchange of intellectual assets among organisations will help creators expand their reach globally while ensuring they receive their rightful earnings in international markets. We look forward to further strengthening this partnership and exploring new avenues for collaboration in safeguarding the rights of writers and publishers."
Similarly, Wong Sharon, Executive Director of Hong Kong Reprographic Rights Licensing Society, emphasised that the agreement underscores the three parties shared commitment to protecting creators’ rights and advancing the global publishing industry. She noted:
"Our collaboration with ERRA aims to establish frameworks that ensure the fair use of creative content while enabling authors and publishers to maximise returns on their work. We believe this partnership will contribute to a sustainable creative ecosystem and enhance public awareness of reprographic rights as a cornerstone of cultural innovation and production."
UAE’s leadership in creativity protection
This partnership reaffirms the UAE’s leading role in supporting creators, as such collaborations open wider opportunities for authors and publishers to access global markets, ensuring international exposure while safeguarding their rights. This, in turn, strengthens the UAE’s position as a regional and global hub for intellectual property protection.
The agreement stands as a practical model of how international efforts can be unified to protect creators and enable them to benefit both financially and morally from their work. By fostering an environment that encourages creativity and innovation, these efforts are expected to lead to further expansions in global partnerships in the coming years, ensuring the sustainability of the publishing sector and the protection of creators’ rights amid rapid digital transformations.
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