Seven of the Twelve Board Members are Women
Brussels, Belgium – 13 November, 2019 – The International Federation of Reproduction Rights Organisations (IFRRO), a network of collective management organisations around the world, including reproduction rights organisations (RROs) and creators’ and publishers’ associations in the text and image sector working to protect and enable easy legal access to copyright materials, held Board elections at its recent World Congress and Annual General Meeting 2019 in Edinburgh, UK. The following were elected:
President: Yngve Slettholm, Kopinor, Norway
First Vice-President: Dora Makwinja, COSOMA, Malawi
Second Vice-President: Tracey Armstrong, Copyright Clearance Center, United States
RRO Directors: Sandra Chastanet, CFC, France; Samantha Holman, ICLA, Ireland; Robert Staats, VG WORT, Germany
RRO Substitute Directors: Javier Diaz de Olarte, CEDRO, Spain; Anders Kristian Rasch, Copydan, Denmark
Director, Creator Associations: Morten Visby, EWC, Belgium
Director, Publisher Associations: Sarah Faulder, PLS, UK
Substitute Director, Creator Associations: Anke Schierholz, EVA, Belgium
Substitute Director, Publisher Associations: Eefke Smit, STM, Netherlands
“IFRRO has achieved an outstanding position as a trustworthy defender of copyright and its members’ interests,” said President-Elect Slettholm. “Together, with the Board and Secretariat, I will strive to further develop the organization to reinforce its success while also keeping an eye on sustainability and the environmental effects of our work.”
“I have had the opportunity to appreciate the challenges that RROs in developing and least developed countries, particularly in Africa, are facing,” said First Vice-President-Elect, Makwinja. “I look forward to assisting these RROs through sharing of best practices among others with the ultimate aim of benefitting authors and publishers through effective licensing of their works.”
“This IFRRO election comes at a time of great change in what is a dynamic information-sharing environment with an increasing emphasis on copyright and licensing,” said Second Vice-President-Elect, Armstrong. “It’s also a time of considerable pressure on rightsholders, their interests, and their livelihoods. Against this backdrop, the importance of IFRRO and its mission has never been greater.”
IFRRO’s mission is to develop and support an efficient and effective network of collective management organisations around the world, including RROs, to ensure the copyrights of authors, visual artists and publishers are respected when their works are reproduced and used. It advocates for copyright and the creative sector by building a strong and resilient RRO network that supports the rights of creators and publishers, including economic and moral rights, with tolerance and respect.
The IFRRO World Congress (IWC), an annual gathering of RROs as well as other related bodies, ran from 4-7 November in Edinburgh, UK. The Congress program included the Annual General Meeting, the IFRRO International Conference, and other meetings. It provided a chance to share knowledge and forge new professional connections.