30th IPA Congress in 2014: It's Bangkok!

At the end of the IPA Board Meeting held at WIPO Headquarters in Geneva on 23^rd January 2012, IPA President YoungSuk “Y.S.” Chi announced that Bangkok, Thailand, was voted host of the 30^th IPA Congress to be held in 2014. Bangkok will be World Book Capital 2013 from 23^rd April 2013 until 22^nd April 2014. From now on, IPA Congresses will be held every two years instead of every four years. See Press Release of 26 January 2012.

IPA Report Critizices Censorship in Vietnam

In its first report on the freedom to publish conditions in Vietnam, IPA concludes that the screening of books is a complex, opaque, at time irrational, and highly bureaucratic process that books and other written materials have to undergo prior to- and post- publication, and formulates an IPA Road Map for Freedom to Publish, making specific recommendations to the Vietnamese government to move towards greater freedom to publish in the country. See Press Release of 17 January 2012.

U.S. Supreme Court Follows IPA in Landmark Copyright Ruling

On 18 January 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Golan v Holder, a key public domain case, questioning whether the US Congress had acted lawfully when restoring copyright to foreign works which had been in the public domain in the US. In a 6 to 2 decision, the Supreme Court upheld the restoration legislation, affirming Congress’s actions and allowing the United States to avoid questions of compliance with its international treaty obligations.  This historic decision is a clear victory for a coalition of international publishers led by the International Publishers Association (IPA) and others. See Press Release of 19 January 2012.

IPA & PEN International Demand Immediate Release of Zarakolu on Day of the Imprisoned Writer

Turkey’s leading freedom of expression advocate, publisher Ragıp Zarakolu, has been on pre-trial detention under terrorism charges since 1 November 2011. On 4 November, he was moved to a high security “F-Type” prison in the city of Izmit, 80 km east of Istanbul. IPA and PEN International are seriously concerned about the effect that the harsh detention conditions could have on his health. IPA and PEN International are also seriously concerned that his pre-trial detention – likely to last a year - is in violation of Turkey’s international treaty obligations, in particular Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), and therefore demand that he, his son Deniz, and Professor and writer Büşra Ersanlı, and all other writers and journalists held solely for their writings and other legitimate activities, be released immediately. See Joint IPA PEN Press Release of 15 November 2011 (Day of the Imprisoned Writer).

Publishers Join UN Initiative to Create a Global Library for the Blind

Publishers from France, UK, US and South Africa have signed licensing agreements with TIGAR, a pilot initiative created in collaboration with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).See Press Release of 14 October 2011.

IPA launched an updated version of its annual survey on VAT on books in July 2011. 88 countries have been surveyed. In a global context where standard VAT rates are on the rise, special treatment for books remains the norm. As far as e-publications are concerned, a small number of countries have already adopted a real non-discriminatory, consistent tax regime. The study concludes that Korea, which boasts the world’s 8th largest publishing industry, should serve as a model in this respect. See Press Release of 7 July 2011. See Global Survey on VAT on Books.