“[…]We must manage and not be a victim of the problem and united, we can do better.“

Read more about the new EWC member Federazione Unitaria Italiana Scrittori. 

FUIS stands for Federazione Unitaria Italiana Scrittori. FUIS was founded by the three main Italian Trade Associations (S.L.S.I, Sindacato Libero Scrittori Italiani,  SNSSindacato Libero Scrittori e UIL UNSA Unione Nazionale Scrittori e Artisti) in 2009. But each trade union is much older.

Federazione Unitaria Italiana Scrittori / United Federation of Italian Writers – a brief description

Since 2009, FUIS has been growing both professionally and in terms of number of members. It is the most important organisation representing  individual writers, as well as translators, illustrators and artists of visual arts in Italy.

The aims of FUIS are broad and focus on the following:

• Protecting authors’ rights. FUIS helps authors to have their rights recognised. The Federation protects and supports authors, providing suggestions, giving initial legal guidance, offering mediation opportunities in the event of disputes and conflicts between the authors and their counterparts by proposing pre-contractual advice.
  FUIS has prepared a standard publishing contract model, following the guidelines provided by WIPO, which is agreed with the Italian publishers’ association the Federazione Unitaria Italiana Editori (the President is Jean Luc Bertoni). Compared to publishers, authors are the weakest party and often have to accept contracts that are unfavorable to them

• Educating authors. FUIS organises specific professional courses, workshops and seminars on intellectual property rights to educate authors about their rights and how to protect themselves
• Promoting works. FUIS assists authors by promoting their works, presenting them in festivals, book fairs, public libraries, exhibitions and public readings. FUIS owns and runs its own theatre, which is  also available to the authors for their presentations
• National representation. FUIS represents Italian authors and manages their rights and requests with organisations, committees, bodies, institutions and commissions. FUIS is part of the Permanent Advisory Committee, which was  established by the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and the Ministry of Culture in order to improve the current legislation on  the copyright law
• International representation. FUIS is a member of the International Authors Forum (IAF) and of the European Writers Council and participates to WIPO’s meetings as an observer.
  FUIS aims to bring Italian authors’ voice abroad and also to collect any information from abroad. The exchange of opinions and information is fundamental for cultural diffusion around the world and also for creating solidarity among authors worldwide.
  FUIS participates to many international events, where authors have the opportunity to bring their creative contribution and face the challenges of international dialogue.
  FUIS supports and manages the “Bridge Book Award” whichis a project thatunites the Italian and American cultures and aims to strengthen mutual understanding through literature.
• Use of media. FUIS publishes a  quarterly magazine called “Forma Fluens” and runs a web tv. FUIS recently acquired a tv channel. All FUIS initiatives are broadcast online and in live streaming.
• Own publications. FUIS produced several publications, among them there are: essays on issues connected to authors’ rights (including a Guide on the Italian copyright law) and collective anthologies of texts. Worthy of mention are 13 anthologies entitled “Diario in coronavirus”, including short stories and poems written by FUIS authors during the pandemic, “Resistere”, and a few bilingual anthologies published in cooperation with other associations from Tunisia, Greece, Russia/Ukraine, Uruguay and China written both in Italian and the respective languages of each country.
  The surveys commissioned and published by FUIS on distribution of books, on library loans and on reprography in Italy are interesting and useful. The Italian translations of the Guide to the publishing contracts produced by WIPO and of the German study on the economic impact of e-lending in public libraries were recently commissioned and published by FUIS.

• Close relationship with public libraries. FUIS also cooperates with public and private libraries through joint initiatives.   Thank to this cooperation, several surveys were possible

• Collective management of PLR. FUIS receives the share of the Fund for public lending right concerning authors, which is granted by the Italian Government every year for collective distribution. The share is used by FUIS for initiatives in favour of all authors (non members also) and for the development of culture in general

Among all the events organised by FUIS, the Authors’ General States stand out. These meetings are held every year in partnership with important cultural bodies and institutions to explore specific themes in different art sectors: literature, visual arts, music, etc.  In 2024, FUIS organised around 340 events, including 10 book fairs in 10 cities and 78 presentations of works. The conferences/studies on the protection of rights, communication and promotion of contemporary art, aimed at artists and professionals in this sector are also worth mentioning.

What challenges, current and future, do you consider more important?

Many are the challenges for the future. FUIS intends to broaden its membership base, and to give authors further chances to be known in Italy and all over the world.
New courses are in the process of being organised to make authors aware of the latest laws and the European directives, which they may be interested to.
Maximum attention is paid  by FUIS to the use of works with AI. So far, the works are not properly protected. Authors’ future existence is in danger if they no longer have control over their creations.
The Federation strongly hopes that the fund allocated by the Italian Government to the lending in public libraries will be increased, so that an individual distribution of money can be done in favour of any rights holders.
Regarding private copy, FUIS is examining how the distribution of rights is actually taking place, with in mind the aim to ensure the correct attribution of rights in favour of all rights holders.
A system based on issuing stickers to be placed, upon request of the rights holders, on books and works of art is being considered, to guarantee knowledge of the print run of a book or the authorship of a work of art.
FUIS will continue to guarantee its presence at book fairs, both in Italy and abroad. The authors who wish to promote their works will have every chance to do this. The new tv channel recently acquired by FUIS will create new opportunities for visibility. All services provided by FUIS will be extended to foreign authors, too.

Why did you join the EWC and what are your expectations?

FUIS thanks EWC for having accepted FUIS as a member. This represents a new success achieved by FUIS, which, by its very vocation, extends beyond national borders. The saying “Unity is strength” is appropriate in this case, especially at a time when authors and their rights are being questioned with the use of AI.

We must manage and not be a victim of the problem and united, we can do better.

Being a member of EWC also means being up to date with what is happening abroad regarding copyright and being able to actively participate with concrete proposals. It also means being in contact with other European organisations with which FUIS can discuss and cooperate for the mutual interest of their members.

It finally means letting the situation on copyright in Italy be known abroad. SIAE still acts as a monopolist with regards to some repertoires such as music, literary works etc.

FUIS is working on a “WHITE BOOK” on the collection and distribution of rights in Italy.

www.fuis.it

www.fuistv.it

www.facebook.com/federazione.scrittori

“the Bridge Book Award”:

premioletterariothebridge.org

 

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Three new members were welcomed by the General Annual Assembly of the European Writers’ Council (EWC) in Oslo 2025:

The European Writers’ Council is delighted to announce the ratification of five new members and welcomed the colleagues warmly by the Assembly in May 2025:

• ASOS Association of Slovak Writers’ –Slovak Writers’ Association, Slovakia
• FUIS Federazione Unitaria Italiana Scrittori, Italy
• NO Norsk Oversetterforening – Norwegian Associaton of Literary Translators, Norway

Learn more about them in the section: OUR MEMBERS

The EWC continues to expand its diversity, competence, collegiality and cohesion through this strong enrichment of its new members and colleagues. The European Writers’ Council represents 250,000 professional writers and translators in the book and text sector in all genres, from 53 European national organisations of professional writers and translators in 34 countries including the EU, the EEA countries Iceland and Norway, as well as Belarus, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, altogether writing in 37 languages.