The International Federation of Reproduction Rights Organisations Asia Pacific Committee Meeting 2026

The Hong Kong Reprographic Rights Licensing Society (HKRRLS) was honoured to participate in the International Federation of Reproduction Rights Organisations (IFRRO) Asia-Pacific Committee (APC) Meeting held in in Tokyo in March 2026. Jointly hosted by the Japan Academic Association for Copyright Clearance (JAC), the Japan Publishers Copyright Organization (JCOPY), the Japan Reproduction Rights Centre (JRRC), and the Japan Book Publishers Association (JBPA), this meeting brought together colleagues from across the region for insightful discussions on key developments in copyright and collective management.

The meeting featured Mr. Satoshi Hatta, Director of the Office for Promoting Works Distribution, Copyright Division, Agency for Cultural Affairs. The keynote speech was delivered by Mr. Kensaku Fukui, an attorney specializing in intellectual property law, who presented countermeasures against Japanese manga piracy.

Dr. Sharon Wong, Executive Director of HKRRLS and Vice-Chair of the Asia Pacific Committee of IFRRO, participated as a panellist in the session discussing the IFRRO Survey Report on Asia-Pacific Publishing, which offered valuable insights into the publishing landscape across the region. Besides, she had the pleasure of helping open the second day’s programme and moderating the session on Education Licensing, discussed progress and challenges in licensing educational institutions.

The meeting also explored important topics including AI governance and regulation, and emerging AI licensing initiatives, highlighting the importance of regional cooperation in supporting authors, publishers, and the wider creative ecosystem.

Many thanks to the IFRRO Secretariat, Anita Huss-Ekerhult and Sarah Quynh Tran for the invaluable support, as well as to all the organizers—JAC, JBPA, JRRC and JCOPY —for their contributions to this outstanding event.