Meet us! Discuss with us, get informed, get inspired! In several panels we exchange about the most burning topics for writers and literature – and also come together to connect.

Our Panels & Networking Events

Wednesday, 15th October 

10:30-11:15   AI Licenses – top or flop?
hall 3.1 / F122, Panel in German.

Millions of generative AI models are being trained with copyright-protected content – so far without permission and without compensation – that’s well known. Licensing works for this use is the solution on everyone’s lips. Should authors and other rights holders really licence their works for systems that essentially compete with them? And if so, what could such licences look like? How much would they cost?

Ava Reed, German author***; Susanne Barwick, lawyer and deputy legal advisor at the Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels; and Cornelia Mechler, Secretary General of the Swiss professional writers’ and translators’ association A*dS, discuss the sense and nonsense of AI licencing with
Nicole Pfister Fetz, Secretary General of the European Writers’ Council (EWC).

*** due to illness author Monika Pfundmeier, will join the panel instead of Ava

17:00-19:30    Networking Cocktail
hall 3.1 / F122, In your own language!

The European Writers’ Council (EWC), the European Council of Literary Translators’ Associations (CEATL), and the Swiss professional writers’ and translators’ association A*dS, in collaboration with the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia, kindly invite all authors and colleagues from the book sector present at the Frankfurt Book Fair to a Networking Cocktail with prosecco and snacks. The event will start at 16:30 with some food for thought in German by the writer Usama Al-Shamani.

Registration is not required. We are looking forward to seeing you and to a stimulating exchange!

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Thursday, 16th October 

14:00-14:45   Kowtowing to the tech economy or fair play? The AI Act and the future of creativity in Europe
Centre stage, hall 4.1 / B68, Panel in German

GenAI is fundamentally changing the book sector – it opens up huge opportunities but also brings profound challenges. This is because General Purpose Generative AI (GPAI) models are not created in a vacuum: they are based on the works of creative minds. In the past, large AI models were often trained with copyrighted material – without the knowledge, consent or remuneration of the authors and rightsholders. With the AI Act, a European legal framework was, for the first time, created to regulate the use of artificial intelligence. An important step: AI developers are to be held more accountable – for example by transparency obligations such as the disclosure of the training data used for generative AI models. The EU Commission currently seems to be lacking the courage to stand up to the tech industry.

With Sven Lehmann (Chair Bundestagsausschusses für Kultur und Medien, Bundestagsfraktion Bündnis 90/Die Grünen),
Dr Christian Meyer-Seitz (Director Department III – Commercial and Business Law, Bundesministerium der Justiz und für Verbraucherschutz), Barbara Gessler (European Commission representative in Berlin) and Nicole Pfister Fetz (Secretary General EWC). Moderation: Sabine Richly, Digital Media Consulting.

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Friday, 17th October

10:00-10:50  Existential Questions: Intellectual Property in the Age of AI
Zentrum Wort, hall 4.1 / F21, Panel in English.

With the growing development of generative artificial intelligence, intellectual property rights – the economic basis of creative work–are under threat. Since the emergence of AI, the priority of Europe’s legislators has been to make data available and accessible for AI developers. With the further implementation of the AI Act this July, it became clear that the European Union does prioritise the protection of intellectual property. Why is the EU apparently jeopardizing the underlying business models of the creative industry? And, further, why are they taking the risk that human-authored content may ultimately be displaced on a much larger scale, affecting all of culture? What are the specific challenges for writers and translators in this respect? And lastly, is copyright the battle we should focus on or are there other risks and aspects we haven’t thought about?

With Prof Dr Stefan Baugarten (University of Graz), Francesca Novajra (President CEATL) and Nicole Pfister Fetz (Secretary General EWC). Moderation: Henrieke Markert (VdÜ).

15:00-15:30    How are we going, the authors in Europe?
Stand IG Autorinnen Autoren, hall 3.1 / F20, Discussion in German – live and on air.

From the shattered dream of culture-friendly AI regulation to the hope for better European strategies to strengthen the necessary cultural diversity.

Nicole Pfister Fetz, Secretary General of the European Writers’ Council, provides insight into burning issues for writers in European cultural and literary policy. A dialogue with Daniela Fürst at the Austrian literary radio station literadio. The conversation is recorded live and will be available to listen online.