Our Associate Amélie de Francquen will attend the next ALAI conference to be held in Dublin from Thursday 30th June to Friday 1st July 2011. The topic of those Study Days will be : the Expansion and Contraction of Copyright, Subject matter, Scope, Remedies.

As a member of the Belgian Copyright Association, Amélie drafted the national report for the Study Days with her colleague of the Research Center Information, Law and Society (CRIDS), Caroline Colin.

"ALAI 2011 affords the Copyright Community the opportunity to reflect on how copyright recognises protectable forms of expression and how new or emerging kinds of cultural endeavour may be challenging copyright paradigms. Speakers will address fundamental questions about what qualifies as an original work and why. Artistic works remain a flexible and expanding concept and national examples of innovative expression will be explained and discussed. Recent case-law on copyright protection for food recipes and perfumes require some discussion on what is protected in the form of ‘works’ that appeal to taste, touch and the sense of smell.

Broader International developments will also be centre-stage at ALAI 2011. Mandatory copyright exceptions reflecting the classical copyright bargain–exclusive rights must respect cultural and educational imperatives- are in the process of being updated for the visually impaired. Speakers will discuss the progress towards an international treaty and the latest developments in WIPO. One other ‘hot’ topic for the International copyright world, securing access to archived or anonymous material, particularly ‘orphan’ works, raises a diverse range concerns within interested groups such as authors (whether as individuals or collectively organised), publishers, content users, libraries, and the ultimate consumer. All stand to lose or gain from the range of ‘solutions’ being considered at national or regional level.

Content creators and users of digital material in particular are creating challenges for copyright concepts and enforcement agencies and legal systems worldwide. ALAI 2011 will explore the latest developments in relation to filesharing and ‘Graduated Response’ mechanisms, whether provided by legislative or sectoral initiatives. Content regulation often involves technical and licensing issues and our analysis will be assisted and informed by leading multinational content providers and distributors."

More information on the website of the ALAI Study Days: http://www.alaidublin2011.org/