The new Regional Asia-Pacific outpost will coordinate the protection and promotion of authors’ interests throughout the region.
At the opening ceremony, CISAC president Jean Michel Jarre delivered a keynote speech to an audience of songwriters and composers, plus officials from the National People’s Congress, State Council, Supreme People’s Court and the National Copyright Administration of China (NCAC).
The event was followed by a seminar on the future of copyright and collective rights management in the region, focusing on the essential role that they play in the lives of creators and commercial users.
CISAC director general, Olivier Hinnewinkel, said: ‘We are pleased to announce that we have received the full support of the NCAC to set up our office in Beijing. China is a vibrant artistic market and it is vital to CISAC that the rights of creators, in all repertoires, are recognised and protected in this country and throughout the region.
‘The NCAC is a valuable partner for CISAC to achieve this goal and we truly appreciate the Chinese government’s support. We are proud to celebrate the opening of our new home in Asia by bringing the creative community to the vibrant Beijing, a city blessed with creators and creativity. Our opening ceremony and the seminar that follows mark the beginning of a new era for us and our three million strong creators’ community in the region.’
