« Tema. Globalt fokus » In fact, the way that RROs (Reproduction Rights Organisations) around the world were able to introduce licence changes to respond to the pandemic really demonstrated these advantages. We are currently exploring ways to better highlight and celebrate these efforts.” Caroline continues: “However, that also puts the spotlight on our other important priority – to build collective management capacity around the world. There are many countries without an RRO, and many countries where the RRO is not yet functioning effectively – and both situations need attention. We work closely with authors and publishers, and with national and international government agencies such as WIPO on such projects. Common to all the projects is a demand for information about different ways of collecting fees and making distributions. Copydan Writing is one of our most engaged members and is very generous with sharing their experiences and expertise, including in mentoring emerging RROs. Caroline Morgan, Secretary General and Chief Executive, IFRRO This knowledge and experience can only come from the RROs themselves, the IFRRO members. We are very fortunate to have not only a highly expert community, but also one that is highly engaged and very generous with their time and knowledge. Another priority is to better harness and celebrate this sense of community.” The campaign ‘Content for Education’ has been a central activity for the members of IFRRO. Could you tell us about this campaign? “The background to Content for Education was the campaign for expansion of unpaid uses of copyright content in education. It seemed to us that very few people understood the direct link between collective management organisations and authors and publishers, or recognised that the fees RROs collect are paid to those authors and publishers, providing a vital part of their income and enabling them to create and publish. We wanted to demonstrate that connection. Of course, the only way that could be done was through the voices of the authors and publishers themselves – those who had benefited from collective management. We were happy with how many authors and publishers were willing to be associated with the campaign. In this context I should acknowledge how much we value the contribution from Copydan Writing in connecting us with so many who were prepared to offer a testimonial. 16
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