#FreeAllWords: International Text and Translation Fund of the European Writers‘ Council (EWC) gives a voice to authors from Belarus and Ukraine“The Value of Writers’ Works” was an evidence-based forum addressing the challenges that concern European authors in the text and book sector in all genres, including screen-writers and literary translators. The threefold thematic platform gavethe opportunity to professional writers to discuss their perspectives; it also aimed at calling the attention of the Members of the European Parliament to follow-up from the study on copyright contract law and contractual practices requested by the European Parliament Legal Affairs Committee (JURI); it was important also to receive an update on recent and forthcoming studies by the European Commission. The interconnection between the digital and its effects on the authors’ remuneration and compensation was at the crossroads of several topics.”
TABLE OF CONTENT – Overview
I. The Writers’ Keynotes:
The Principle of Copyright
Joanna Trollope OBE
Our Obligation and Responsibility towards the Words
Goce Smilevski, European Union Prize for Literature for the Republic of North Macedonia 2010
II. Towards Fair Contractual Agreements and Practices
The Value of Writers’ Works: Fair Contractual Terms in European Copyright Law?
Prof. Silke von Lewinski, Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition, Germany
European Parliament Study on Contractual Arrangements for Creators: a Focus on the Text Sector
Dr. María Iglesias, Head of Research and Studies at KEA
Standard Contracts in Publishing: Advantages for Authors and Publishers.
Trond Andreassen, Secretary-General, the Norwegian Non-Fiction Writers and Translators Association
III. Challenges and Solutions for Remuneration and Compensation
What are Words Worth Now?
Barbara Ann Hayes, Deputy CEO, ALCS
E-Books: Same Content. Improved Usage. Less Money
Mette Møller, Attorney, Secretary General, the Norwegian Authors’ Union
The American Publishing Landscape in the Digital Age: Amazon, E-books, and New Business Models
Jan F. Constantine, General Counsel, The Authors Guild New York
Copyright Levies in the Digital World
Robert Staats, Joint CEO of VG Wort, and Vice-President of the Society of Audiovisual Authors SAA
Concluding Remarks
Olli Rehn, Member and Vice-President of the European Parliament, Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
Dr. Pirjo Hiidenmaa, EWC President
Proceedings of the EWC Authors’ Rights conference held at the European Parliament in Brussels on 3.11.2014.
The European Writer Series. ISSN: 1560-4217. 2015, 72 pp.
Published by the European Writers’ Council
Rue d’Arlon 75-77, 1040 Brussels – Belgium