Audiovisual authors speak out and urge WIPO Copyright Committee to address their rights

11 April 2025 - Press release

Filmmakers and copyright experts have gathered at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva to discuss the lack of fair remuneration for audiovisual creators, and the urgent need for a study on the global situation of remuneration for audiovisual authors worldwide.

At the SCCR side event, co-organised by CISAC, FESAAL and SAA, prominent screenwriters and directors gave testimonies from three continents and copyright experts highlighted the imbalance between the central creative role played by audiovisual authors and their lack of fair remuneration and protection.

Serge AKPATOU, SCCR delegate from Côte d'Ivoire, introduced the Proposal for a Study on the Rights of Audiovisual Authors and their Remuneration for the Exploitation of their Works and explained its added value:

“In my various roles as an IP lawyer and judge, I have experienced first-hand the precarious situation, economic and legal insecurity of audiovisual authors in West Africa. Côte d’Ivoire has invited WIPO to evaluate the legal system in different countries and to provide a list of possible protections to improve authors' rights. Such a study would raise international awareness of the situation and solutions.” 

The event brought testimonies from audiovisual authors from different regions of the world explaining the challenges they face.

“Screenwriters and directors are the creative engine behind the films, TV programmes and online series that enrich our lives and shape our culture. Yet their rights, and consequently their remuneration, fall far short of other parties in the production chain. In some regions, creators are not even recognised as authors of their works, leaving them without the basic legal protection they deserve. And in only a few countries – including my native Spain and a few countries in Europe and Latin America– do they enjoy the basic right to be remunerated fairly for the use of their works. This is a global challenge for the community of audiovisual creators. And it requires our collective attention and action. Without question the WIPO SCCR is the best forum for this work.” – Ángeles GONZÁLEZ-SINDE REIG, Spanish screenwriter and director, CISAC Vice-President.