Making IPR administration work for smaller and

vulnerable economies.

Halldór Th. Birgisson hrl.Chair of Fjölís – RRO Iceland.

Comments – Jamaica 31.11.2008.

Iceland.• Island in the North Atlandic Ocean 103.000 sq.km.• Inhabitants 300.000 • Pepole of skandinavian origin • Own local language – Icelandic spoken nearly unchanged since

the year 1000• Litterary heritage – icelandic sagas written in 1100-1200• A vibrant publishing industry.• Hi level of education.• Five universities.• Students in universities est. 17.000.

Fjölís - 1.• The Icelandic RRO founded in 1984 – 25th association of;

publishers, writers, journalists, visual artists and composers.• A staff of one (in a part time job 50 – 75%)• Total amount collected per year c.a. Euro 600.000 or two euros

per person.• Scandinavian model – extended collective license.• No individual mandates.• Non title specific payments collected.• Little research on material being photocopied.• All payments from Fjolia to member associations.• Distributed between member associations decided by the board.•

Fjölís – 2.

• All agreements with other countries have been IFRRO B – type agreements.

• Contracts with the Ministry of Education for photocopies in schools – main income source.

• Contracts for photocopying in; ministries, in municipal governments, churches, music schools.

• Agreements for scanning of Icelandic materials in universities – new test agreement – future income.

• Cost of operation c.a. 17 – 18% on average.

An RRO in a small country.• It is possible to operate an RRO in a small community – does being

small matter ?• Special circumstances – are there any ?• - all research that I am aware of shows that mainly local material is

being copied in each country.• - the position of the industry and the artist is special whereas it can

be more difficult to manage individual rights as the use is at a smaller scale – all amounts are smaller and usually the cost would be higher.

• Therefore the need for an RRO in a small country is at least as important.

• - without the RRO it is very likely that all secondary use would not be remunerated.

• - the RRO is most likely to keep the message alive whereas the member associations are fairly small.

Is Fjolis a success.• Is the Icelandic RRO successful ?• - it has managed to negotiate succesfully with the main users.• - it has negotiated pilot agreements for digital.• - it is collecting an estimated 2 euros per inhabitant.• - operating costs are below 20%.• - it is a stakeholder concerning copyright in Iceland.• - it is the 25th largest collector within IFRRO.• - it participates in international work.• - it has hosted meetings for IFRRO and the nordic countries.• - it is accepted by members and the individual artist in Iceland.

• For you to decide but I have an opinion.

Key elements in operation.• Fjölís is in all matters presented as a service provider.• We serve, as all RRO’s, the community as the link to legal use.• We use contacts within the government to explain our operation to

members of government.• We do a lot of work within the member organisations in informing

the rightholders about the work of Fjolis.• Cost are controlled and expenses budgeted for.• The operation is transparent and books are open.• We are united inside the operation and different opinions are

solved at board meetings.• We use IFRRO and IFRRO material.• We use contacts inside the RROs in our area.• We have used the IFRRO B type agrements.

An opinion.• I would like to have the small nations aboard.• I think it will lead to new kinds of solutions.• Many issues in IP management at a large scale are complicated

for a small nation and a small RRO.• The existing DRM models are too complicated for many of the

small nations or small markets and for the LDC.• The small nations will, within the legal framework, probably find

different solutions for rights management.• In Iceland we are starting to discuss a national solution on

making available all Icelandic material on the internet that would never be discussed in a larger community.

• If we get more RROs organised in the smaller nations it will lead to new ways of thinking and new solutions.

• BEING A SMALL NATION IS NOT A PROBLEM IN OPERATING AN RRO.

»JUST DO IT.