The International Authors Forum (IAF) and PLR International co-hosted the online event Creating a Living: How Public Lending Right (PLR) Helps, the first in a series of events stemming from IAF’s recent Creating a Living report. Panel representatives from international authors rights’ organisations discussed the importance of PLR systems and the situation in their countries. The event featured discussion on the benefits of and obstacles overcome by PLR systems in various countries. The event comes at a time when a proposal for a study focused on PLR is being considered at the Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR) of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), from the delegation of Sierra Leone, co-sponsored by Panama and Malawi.
During the discussion, Helmi Kekkonen from Finland; Ndogolera Mwangupili from Malawi; Arjen Polman from The Netherlands; and Peter Schneider from Canada, all commented on the importance of PLR systems and how essential is for literature and culture to be supported. The panellists highlighted how PLR systems help writers contribute more to cultural life both through remuneration and recognition for their work. Moreover, everyone underlined the appreciation writers have for PLR systems, as they keep them active and ready to support cultural life through their work. Each panellist urged their Government’s WIPO delegation to support the proposal for a study focused on PLR at SCCR40.
IAF and PLR International would like to thank all the panellists for taking the time to share their views and the audience for attending.
You can watch the full discussion here.