KCC Ramps Up Korea’s Standing as Global Copyright Hub

Chairman Choi Byung-goo of the Korea Copyright Commission (KCC).

Chairman Choi Byung-goo of the Korea Copyright Commission (KCC) said, “With the establishment of an experience hall on the education of copyrights, KCC will be reorganized into an institution to cope with the rapidly changing copyright ecosystem and born into a global copyright hub institution.”

KCC has pursued the promotion of creators’ copyrights and the establishment of works’ distribution infrastructure and building of an environment designed to use copyrights.

KCC now needs to cope with environment changes such as AI and big data. In this context, Chairman Choi, who took office in January, stressed the strengthening of KCC as an institution specializing in copyrights.

Chairman Choi suggested KCC’s vision of becoming a global copyright hub.

Chairman Choi cited the overall revision of the Act on Copyrights and the continued spread of hallyu (Korean Wave) content in foreign countries as the Korean copyright industry’s buzzwords.

In his message to KCC’s website, Chairman Choi said, “ As the values and possibilities of culture have been enhanced, the extension of interests and rights of creators and smooth and fair use of literary properties are accentuated more.”

“Through the protection of copyrights, the Commission would like to make the world of liberal creation with no worry and the future of abundance and happiness for everyone by preparing the copyright industrial environment of safe investment,” he said.

For the above, the Commission will prepare fair and balanced laws and systems for copyrights, enhance the international cooperation of copyrights besides the national service about copyrights, and configure the transparent and smooth environment of use of literary properties.

Director General Kang Suk-won of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Chairman Choi Byung-goo of the Korea Copyright Commission (KCC) participate in Seoul Copyright Forum 2021 held online on Oct. 28. (Photos: KCC)

KCC Holds Seoul Copyright Forum 2021 Online

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) and Korea Copyright Commission (KCC) held the Seoul Copyright Forum 2021 online on Oct. 28.

Seoul Copyright Forum, which made its debut in 2008, was designed to share pending issues related to copyright, grasp global trends and explore ways of taking countermeasures.

Seoul Copyright Forum 2021, the 14th rendition, was held under the theme “Looking to the Future of Copyright through Coexistence and Balance.”

The event looked into roles of expanded online platforms and viewpoints related to copyright industry officials and rights holders.

The forum also took a look at trends in the book and publishing sectors, and ways of promoting institutional reform of copyright to raise the handicapped persons’ access to information.

Starting with a keynote speech by Prof. Dr. Silke von Lewinski, senior research fellow of intellectual property and competition law at Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition, the forum proceeded with William Patry, senior copyright counsel at Google, speaking on the theme of the global spread of contagious diseases and platforms.

Bejamin Ng, Regional Director for Asia-Pacific at International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers, spoke of the significance of protecting creators in the online environment.

Glan Rawrence, a Canadian representative of the Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights, touched on a topic of publishers’ perspective on copyrights and the global spread of contagious diseases.

Barbara Lison, president of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, talked about the roles of libraries on the era of remote service and the lessons on copyrights and libraries, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prof. Lee Il-ho of Yonsei University and Martine Abel-Williamson, President of the World Blind Union (WBU) spoke of reducing cultural divide of people with disabilities.

Prof. Lee touched on the roles of the Act on Copyrights to raise handicapped people’s rights to have access to information while WBU President Martine Abel-Williamson introduced WBU and the Accessible Books Consortium (ABC), a public-private partnership led by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

Prof. Choi Jin-won of Daegu University emceed discussions on balance and coexistence and the future of copyrights on online society with Korean debaters such as Prof. Kim Chang-hwa of Hanbat National University and President Lee Yong-gu of KL Management in attendance.

Deputy Director General Sylvie Forbin of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Chung Sang-jo, co-chairman of the Presidential Council on Intellectual Property, and Rep. Kim Ye-ji of the National Assembly Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee delivered commemorative and welcoming speeches during the forum.

The façade of the Seoul Railroad Station, or “Cultural Station Seoul 284,” named after the historical site No. 284. (Photo: MCST)

Media-Façade Screening at Cultural Station Seoul 284

Korea Copyrights Commission (KCC) screened media-façade videos at Seoul Railroad Station on three occasions from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Sept. 30.

The screening of media-façade films was designed to support young artists’ creative passion and spread right uses of copyrights.

A video, produced by Seung, a member of the 308ArtCrew, a five-member young media artists’ group, was shown on the façade of the Seoul Railroad Station, or “Cultural Station Seoul 284,” named after the historical site No. 284.