Industry leaders push for robust copyright ecosystem to support ‘innovation and sustainability’ in global publishing at SIBF 2024

Emma House from UK, South African Brian Wafawarowa and Iman Ben Chaibah of Sharjah Book Authority join Dimiter Tzantchev in a workshop on intellectual property’s evolving role, especially in digital publishing

Sharjah, November 12, 2024

The ongoing 43rd Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) offered an in-depth look into the evolving role of intellectual property with a workshop titled “The Role of Intellectual Property in the Modern Digital Publishing Ecosystem”.

Bulgarian diplomat Dimiter Tzantchev opened the floor by addressing the ‘genuine data crunch’ publishers face globally.  “Data is essential for progress. We need evidence-based policy-making. Publishing, one of the oldest and most respected industries, still lacks the comprehensive, reliable data that other creative industries, like music and audiovisual, have readily available. Despite our efforts to gather meaningful insights on the global publishing industry, we find that the data simply doesn’t exist in the shape we need to support informed decision-making and strategic growth,” he said.

Emma House, a prominent figure in the global publishing industry, emphasised the critical need to safeguard intellectual property rights in Europe. “Amid the rise of AI, the European publishing industry must prioritise protecting intellectual property rights. As technology reshapes the landscape, we need to safeguard authors’ rights to ensure the industry remains sustainable,” said House, Director of Oreham Group – a publishing consultancy dedicated to international business development, event curation and strategy – she founded in 2019.

“For me, maintaining a strong copyright framework is vital to the industry’s sustainability, especially as AI brings new challenges in areas like content generation and policy development”, she noted.

Next, Iman Ben Chaibah – Director of Strategic Initiatives & Global Markets at Sharjah Book Authority – took to the stage to speak about the digital publishing landscape in the Arab world. “When non-Arabs attempt to understand the region’s perspective, they often miss key cultural and economic factors,” she began. “For instance, many in the Arab world are accustomed to consuming content for free, which creates a significant gap in transitioning to paid digital models. While the UAE has strong anti-piracy laws that help protect publishers and content creators, other regions in the Arab world—particularly parts of North Africa and Asia—lack similar legal protections. This disparity leads to a loss of revenue and makes it difficult for digital publishing to grow sustainably across the entire region. To fully realise the potential of digital publishing in the Arab world, there needs to be a concerted effort toward developing comprehensive copyright frameworks and shifting consumer mindsets toward valuing paid content.”

The session was rounded off by academician and publisher Brian Wafawarowa who spoke about educational publishing in the digital environment. “Despite the challenges, I find digital publishing increasingly appealing, particularly through licensing models that offer flexible access to educational content,” said the CEO of Juta and Company, a leading provider of quality legal, regulatory, business and academic content across Africa. “Digital technology holds immense potential to support the goal of universal coverage in education, reaching learners who might otherwise be left behind.”

The South African then went to highlight some of the challenges the industry currently faces. “Infringement and piracy remain significant concerns, impacting revenue and discouraging investment in quality materials. There is also growing competition from Open Educational Resources (OER) and Corporate Social Investment (CSI) materials, which are often free or low-cost. Additionally, today’s users expect more dynamic, interactive, and versatile content that goes beyond traditional formats. Meeting these evolving expectations requires publishers to adapt quickly, creating engaging, flexible materials that align with modern learning habits. Despite these obstacles, I believe digital publishing is on the path forward for creating accessible, innovative educational experiences globally.”

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