Making IPR Administration work for smaller and vulnerable economies

LuxemburgJean-Luc PUTZ, luxorr asbl

•Key Data

•Being an author or publisher in Luxemburg

•Managing IPR Rights in Luxemburg

Key Data• Population : 480’000 + 130’000 daily commuters

• GNP : 75’000 euros per capita

• Official languages : French, German, Luxemburgish (spoken by 300’000 people)

• Copyright legislation : closest to the legislations in France and Belgium

• CMO’s : 3

Being an author or publisher (1)•Very small market•Surrounded by countries using one of the

official languages, French or German•Most publications are Luxembourg-

specific▫Culture, geography, history, politics▫Legal matters▫Literature in Luxemburgish language

•Mainly a “niche” market, but growing

Being an author or publisher (2)•Authors’ association (LSV)

▫ca. 100 members▫handful of authors that can make their living▫did not yet want to become member of luxorr

•Publishers’ association (FLEL)▫18 members

•Press : diversified, but helped out by substantial public funding (aide a la presse)

Managing IPR – The challenges (1)•Limited commitment from rights holders•Limited political interest

▫Copyright attributed to Ministry of Economy

▫Recent example : 80 % tax exemption for all IPR-income, except copyright

•Austere & incomplete legislation•Limited resources for RRO’s

▫Human resources▫Financial resources

Managing IPR – possible solutions•Do it the easiest, least resource-consuming

way▫Straightforward distribution criteria▫Global approaches

•Concentrate on core business•Think of small RRO’s when elaborating

international rules & standards•Help from RRO’s having a similar legal

system•Managing from abroad ?

thank you