Copyright protection of creative community in focus at Emirates LitFest in Dubai
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Dubai: The importance of copyright protection of the creative community was in the spotlight at the 15th edition of the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature in Dubai.
The Emirates Reprographic Rights Management Association (ERRA) organised a panel discussion titled “How to protect my rights”, reinforcing its commitment to raise societal and institutional awareness of original content rights.
The event, held at the Mohammed bin Rashid Library, aimed to raise awareness of the significance of copyrights and their role in building a knowledge-based society.
Moderated by Salha Obaid, treasurer of ERRA, the discussion brought together a panel of copyright management experts, including Dr. Afra Atiq, vice-president of ERRA; Dr. Abdelrahman Al Muaini, general secretary of ERRA; and Majd Al Shehhi, director of ERRA.
During the session, the panel delved into the importance of protecting copyrights and publishers’ rights for the creative community.
Pivotal role
Dr Atiq addressed the pivotal role ERRA plays in protecting the rights of authors and publishers, as well as raising awareness about the importance of ‘copyright.’ She also highlighted several practices that may infringe upon creative authors’ rights. She emphasised the benefits the UAE’s cultural sector can gain from the ERRA’s activities, which are a fundamental step towards its development.
Al Shehhi highlighted the influential role of government institutions in ERRA’s success, its ongoing journey to support the country’s creative economy, and its plans to partner with authors and publishers to achieve the association’s role.
Dr Al Muaini emphasised the benefits of ERRA’s membership in protecting authors’ and publishers’ copyrights and how the association supports creative industries and plays a significant role in building a knowledge-based society.
ERRA was launched in line with the UAE’s mandate to protect the copyrights of content creators and safeguard the rights of authors and publishers through appropriate laws and legislation. The association’s strategy includes monitoring the re-use of print and digital works in schools, universities, copy and print centres, and public libraries, in collaboration with relevant government entities in the country.
