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.

The Hong Kong Reprographic Rights Licensing Society (HKRRLS) marked its 30th Anniversary with a dinner held on 12 January 2026, bringing together representatives from government departments, the education sector, different collaborative partners, licensing bodies, as well as the publishing and printing industries. More than one hundred guests joined the celebration to commemorate this important milestone.

The evening opened with welcoming remarks by Mr Ponch Poon, Chairman of HKRRLS, and Dr Sharon Wong, Executive Director, followed by addresses from Mr David Wong, Director of the Intellectual Property Department; Mr Mark Woo, Deputy Commissioner (Control and Enforcement) of the Customs and Excise Department; and Mr Kenneth Fok, Member of the Legislative Council (Sports, Performing Arts, Culture and Publication Functional Constituency). The speakers reaffirmed HKRRLS’s long-standing contributions to advancing copyright licensing and protection.

From an international perspective, the dinner was honoured to feature a video message from Ms Anita Huss-Ekerhult, Chief Executive Officer of the International Federation of Reproduction Rights Organisations (IFRRO). In addition, Ms Sarah Tran, Director of Regional Policy and Public Affairs at IFRRO, attended in person and shared insights on “The Impact of Artificial Intelligence Development on Copyright Licensing”, fostering meaningful dialogue with industry stakeholders.

The programme also included sharing sessions by award-winning students of the “Hong Kong Inter-school Respect Copyright Competition”, as well as the presentation of “Long Service Awards” to recognise directors who have made dedicated contributions to the Society over the years.

Looking ahead, HKRRLS will continue to serve as an important bridge for the publishing sector. The Society remains committed to responding proactively to the challenges and opportunities brought by technological development, promoting respect for and protection of intellectual property, and supporting Hong Kong’s development as a regional intellectual property trading hub.

Dr. Sharon Wong, Executive Director of HKRRLS and Vice-Chair of the Asia Pacific Committee of IFRRO, was honoured to attended the International Federation of Reproduction Rights Organisations (IFRRO) World Congress and General Assembly 2025, hosted by the Copyright Licensing and Administration Society of Singapore (CLASS) from October 28th to 30th 2025. Approximately 170 delegates from across 80 countries worldwide, including guests from international organisations such as WIPO and UNESCO, were in attendance for the event.

With discussions held on the various areas affecting authors, publishers and the wider literary works community, the Congress proved to be thought-provoking, providing attendees fresh insights into copyright developments on an international scale. The many advancements in Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI) technology also added depth to the several dialogue sessions held on the ethical, legal and licensing issues on copyright matters.

Dr. Sharon Wong had delivered two presentations at the event. She introduced “The Promotion for Local Publications and Reading Culture Programme” in Hong Kong. She explored strategies to foster a high-quality reading culture in Hong Kong while supporting the local publishing industry and authors. In another presentation, Dr. Wong examined the adaptation of IP ecosystem frameworks to respond to artificial intelligence (AI) advancements. It aims to safeguard the rights of authors and publishers while fostering innovation to address the evolving landscape of AI development.

The Hong Kong Reprographic Right Licensing Society (HKRRLS) is honoured to announce the signing of a bilateral agreement with the Kazakhstan Authors’ Society (KazAK). This significant collaboration further strengthens international collaboration between Hong Kong SAR and the Republic of Kazakhstan in copyright protection and collective licensing.

We would like to extend our sincere appreciation to Ms Ainura Yessendikova, General Director of KazAK, for partnering with Dr. Sharon Wong, Executive Director of HKRRLS, to sign the agreement.

We look forward to further enhancing our collaboration to advance intellectual property protection and to contribute to the sustainable development of the global copyright ecosystem.

The IP Roundtable was successfully held on 17 July 2025 at HKTDC Hong Kong Book Fair. This event was hosted by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), co-organised by HKRRLS and supported by the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) of HKSAR.

The panel discussion, moderated by Dr. Sharon Wong, Executive Director of HKRRLS and Vice Chair of Asia Pacific Committee (APC), explored the topic of “A Forward-Looking Copyright Framework – How to Balance Interests Between Innovation and IP Protection”.

We were honoured to have distinguished panelists to share the practices from different regions, examining the adaptation of their IP ecosystem frameworks to respond to AI advancements. The panel discussion featured five distinguished speakers, including Majd Hassan Al Shehhi, Director of The Emirates Reprographic Rights Management Association (ERRA); Sarah Tran, Head of Regional Policy and Public Affairs of the International Federation of Reproduction Rights Organisations (IFRRO); Andrew Fong, CEO of the Copyright Licensing and Administration Society of Singapore (CLASS); Toshimichi Ishijima, Secretary General of the Japan Academic Association for Copyright Clearance (JAC); and James Bennett, Head of Rightsholder Relations of The Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA).

HKRRLS was honored to be invited to attend the “International Seminar on Copyright Protection in the Digital Age” at Beijing on 23 June 2025. This event was jointly organized by the Copyright Society of China (CSC), the International Federation of Reprographic Rights Organisations (IFRRO), the China Written Works Copyright Society (CWWCS), and the International Publishers Copyright Protection Coalition in China (IPCC). The seminar was opened by speeches from Zhao Jie, Deputy Director of the Copyright Administration Bureau of the PRC and Yan Xiaohong, Chairman of the CSC. Dr. Sharon Wong, Executive Director of HKRRLS delivered the keynote speech titled “Advocating for Rightsholders in the AI Era”. This seminar reflected the country’s strong emphasis on copyright system development and international cooperation in the digital era.

The Award Presentation and Closing Ceremony of the “2024/25 Hong Kong Inter-School Respect Copyright Education Campaign”, organized by the HKRRLS and co-organized by the IPD and the C&ED, was successfully held on 21 June 2025.

HKRRLS has been organizing a large-scale Hong Kong Inter-school Respect Copyright Education Campaign since 2007, with the aim of fostering students’ creativity, understanding of the creative industry and the importance of respecting copyright. In the 2024-2025 school year, we organized the 10th Copyright Education Campaign.

This year, we have also introduced a new award for “Innovation and Copyright Protection” to encourage interest in emerging technologies and highlight the importance of protecting creative works.

A total of 22 organizations were invited to be the supporting organizations for this year’s campaign, with special thanks for the support of Education Bureau, all the school councils, The Hong Kong Association for Computer Education, Hong Kong Education City, Hong Kong Publishing Federation, The Hong Kong Association of Professional Education Publishing Limited, Customs YES, Hong Kong Teacher-Librarians’ Association , Hong Kong Information Technology Industry Council (Group 25) and Education Committee of Federation of Hong Kong Industries, The Hong Kong Academy for Gifted Education, Hong Kong Alliance of Technology and Innovation, Rotary Club of Hong Kong and Rotaract Club of The University of Hong Kong. Rotary Club of Hong Kong and Rotaract Club of The University of Hong Kong sent student performers to add to the splendor of the ceremony.

Thanks to the support of the community, the campaign of this year has attracted more than 3,300 student submissions from 470 schools, an increase of approximately 200 schools from last year.

Once again, we would like to thank the co-organizers and supporting organizations, guests, panel of judges, IP Stars, as well as students and parents for attending the ceremony.