Meeting of WIPO and FESAAL on behalf of Audiovisual Authors of Colombia

WIPO (Worldwide Organization for Intellectual Property) and FESAAL (Latin American Audiovisual Authors Societies Federation), in collaboration with DNDA (National Direction of Authors´ Rights) of Colombia, together with the CMOs REDES (Screenwriters Colombia), and DASC ( Directors Colombia), held an on-line debate about action taken to defend the rights of audiovisual authors in Colombia.

After the acclaimed approval of the Pepe Sánchez Law in 2017, a law which protects the author´s rights of audiovisual screenwriters and directors in Colombia, REDES, a society of Colombian screenwriters, and DASC, a society of Colombian directors, crowned a long struggle on the part of its authors by beginning the year with the collection and distribution of the rights of all the audiovisual authors in the country. This was the most important precedent in the fight to gain these rights.

On October 29, FESAAL held a scheduled meeting on Zoom which was attended by authorities of Authors and Technicians of the Federation, together with Geidy Lung, Chief Counsel of the Division of Authors´ Rights of the Creative Culture and Industry Sector of WIPO; Miguel Angel Rojas, Judicial Counselor of the General Direction of the DNDA, and Presiding Authors Mario Mitrotti, President of DASC, and Alexandra Cardona, President of REDES. Adriana Saldarriaga and Sandra Castillo, counselors at law, also participated. Attendees were briefed with a history of the Pepe Sanchez law, on the right to remuneration by publication of the law, the achievement and recognition in countries of the region, as well as the present status of authors´ rights in Colombia from the perspective of DNDA Colombia and as reported by Miguel Ángel Rojas.

Geidy Lung represented WIPO by providing an interesting worldwide perspective on authors´ rights in international treaties, a presentation which generated valuable debate. From FESAAL, Horacio Maldonado, General Secretary; and Luis Mangiavillano and Germán Gutiérrez, Coordinators of the federation´s Technical and Legal Committee, reported on the creation of collective action societies in Latin America and the rights of writers and directors to remuneration under the Berna Agreement.

Collaboration between WIPO and FESAAL ensures the collaboration and participation of audiovisual authors who make up the Federation for the defense of established rights which they not only refuse to renounce but also protect all around the world.