The “International Federation of Reproduction Rights Organizations (IFRRO) Asia Pacific Committee Meeting and Welcome Dinner 2024” jointly organised by IFRRO and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government’s Create Hong Kong, and implemented by the Hong Kong Reprographic Rights Licensing Society, was successfully held from April 25th to 26th, 2024.

With headquarters in Belgium, IFRRO is the global industry body for collective management organisations (CMOs) in the text/image sector. It facilitates, on an international basis, the collective management of reproduction and other rights in text and image works through the cooperation of 150+ member organisations drawn from more than 85 countries and regions around the world. Its members represent many millions of authors, visual artists, and publishers of books, journals, newspapers, magazines and printed music. HKRRLS, in affiliation with IFRRO, represents millions of publications published in Hong Kong and overseas. HKRRLS aims to protect the intellectual property rights of our represented authors and publishers and to raise public awareness of copyright and collective management organisations.

The APC Meeting is an important gathering of representatives from Asia Pacific Committee of IFRRO, as well as industry experts and practitioners from creative industries. The Asia Pacific Committee of IFRRO comprises 17 CMOs from 13 countries and regions with interests in the region. These countries and regions include China, Hong Kong China, Australia, Singapore, United Kingdom, Philippines, Emirates, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Aims to foster partnerships and collaborations that can lead to new business opportunities and growth in the IP sector, the APC Meeting to be held in Hong Kong will provide a platform for discussions on crucial developments in collective licensing and best practices in copyright management.

Hong Kong SAR, as positioned by the 14th Five-Year Plan of China as Asia’s IP trading hub and the East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange, provides an excellent platform for the APC Meeting. By bringing together stakeholders from the IP and related industries in Hong Kong, ASEAN, and the Asia Pacific regions, along with delegates from IFRRO, we aim to create a conducive environment for networking and knowledge exchange.

 

Group photo of representatives of IFRRO Asia Pacific Committee members after the meeting.

We were honoured to have Mr. Lau Chun, Raistlin, JP, Under Secretary of CSTB (fourth from left) and Ms. Tracey Armstrong, Chairman of IFRRO (fourth from right), delivered welcome speeches at the APC Meeting; and Mr. Ponch Poon, Chairman of HKRRLS (first from left), Ms. Sarah Tran, Policy and Public Affairs Consultant of IFRRO (second from left), Ms. Anita Huss-Ekerhult, CEO and Secretary-General of IFRRO (third from left), Ms. Cho Lai Suk Ha, Lowell, Assistant Head of Create Hong Kong (third from right), Mr. Andrew Fong, Chair of IFRRO Asia Pacific Committee (Second from right) and Dr. Sharon Wong, Executive Director of HKRRLS and Vice Chair of IFRRO Asia Pacific Committee (first from right) to join our the APC Meeting.

Mr. Lau Chun, Raistlin, JP, Under Secretary for the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, delivered a welcome speech at the meeting.

Mr. Wong Fok Loi, David, JP, Director of the Intellectual Property Department, introduced Hong Kong’s intellectual property framework and the work of the Intellectual Property Department at the meeting.

We were honoured to have Mr. Yeung Yun Hung, Kevin, GBS, JP, Secretary for the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau (fifth from right); Ms. Tracey Armstrong, Chairman of IFRRO (fifth from left); Mr. Wong Fok Loi, David, JP, Director of Intellectual Property Department (fourth from right);  Ms. Anita Huss-Ekerhult, Chief Executive Officer and Secretary General of IFRRO (fourth from left); Mr. Tsang Chiu Hok, Victor, Head of Create Hong Kong (third from right); Mr. Woo Wai kwanm Mark, Deputy Commissioner (Control and Enforcement) of Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department (third from left); Mr. Andrew Fong, Chair of IFRRO Asia Pacific Committee (First from right); Ms. Sarah Tran, Policy and Public Affairs Consultant of IFRRO (first left); Mr. Ponch Poon, Chairman of HKRRLS (second from right); Dr. Sharon Wong, Executive Director of HKRRLS and Vice Chair of IFRRO Asia Pacific Committee (second left) and hosted the toasting ceremony and kicked off the welcoming dinner.

We were honoured to have Mr. Yeung Yun Hung, Kevin, GBS, JP, Secretary for the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, delivered a welcome speech at the dinner.

Ms. Tracey Armstrong, Chairman of IFRRO, welcomed all the guests to the dinner and thanked all implementation units for their hard work in preparing for the event.

Mr. Ponch Poon, Chairman of HKRRLS (first from left), Ms. Tracey Armstrong, Chairman of IFRRO (second from left), Mr. Yeung Yun Hung, Kevin, GBS JP, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau (third from left), Dr. Sharon Wong, Executive Director of HKRRLS and Vice Chair of IFRRO Asia Pacific Committee (second from right), and Mr. Andrew Fong, Chairman of IFRRO Asia Pacific Committee (first from right), and guests enjoyed pre-dinner drinks and the night view of Victoria Harbor on the balcony of the event venue.

The event also featured a Bian Lian performance as a cultural event showcasing the traditional Chinese art form of face changing.

As a hub for cultural and artistic exchange between China and the rest of the world, Hong Kong has seen a growing interest from local writers and publishers to introduce their books to the international market in order to promote Hong Kong’s culture. The combination of technology and publishing can facilitate the international outreach of locally published Chinese books. The “Publishing 3.0 Hong Kong Smart eBook hub” Scheme (“Publishing 3.0”) integrates publishing and A.I. technology to assist the industry in creating high-quality, internationally marketable smart e-books.

In order to help Hong Kong’s e-books and audio books expand into the international market, “Publishing 3.0” participated in the 2023 “Frankfurt International Book Fair” in October. Dr. Sharon Wong, the Executive Chairman (Executive) of the “Publishing 3.0” project committee and the Executive Director of the Hong Kong Reprographic Rights Licensing Society, shared the outcomes of the participation at an industry sharing session held on November 30, with over 30 representatives from the publishing industry. The attendees responded rather enthusiastically. The Frankfurt Book Fair is one of the largest copyright trading exhibitions globally and is considered one of the most important exhibitions in international book trade. “Publishing 3.0” participated for the first time, promoting the “Hong Kong Smart eBook Hub” to global e-book purchasers/operators, overseas industry associations, publishing representatives, and authors. According to Dr. Wong, some overseas publishers have shown a special interest in Hong Kong stories, cultural heritage, and other related topics in e-books and audio books collection. The industry agrees that e-books and audio books are important trends in the publishing industry and hopes that more local works can break through geographical and language barriers and enter the overseas market.

Dr. Elvin Lee, the Chairman of the “Publishing 3.0” project committee and the Chairman of the Hong Kong Publishing Federation, also stated that over 60 Hong Kong publishers are currently participating in “Publishing 3.0,” and through the project’s “e-book publishing conversion platform,” 858 Chinese printed books from Hong Kong have been successfully converted into over 4,000 Chinese and English e-books, as well as Cantonese, Mandarin, and English audio books. In 2024, “Publishing 3.0” will strive to continue operating the “Hong Kong Smart eBook Library,” opening up more business opportunities for the Hong Kong publishing industry in the international market.

Dr. Wong revealed at the sharing session that in the future, “Publishing 3.0” will continue to optimize conversion technology, including converting simplified Chinese printed books into Cantonese and Mandarin audio books. The working group will also continue to promote the “Hong Kong Smart eBook hub” by participating in various events and book fairs, including the “Learning and Teaching Expo 2023” held on December 15, 2023, the Bologna Children’s Book Fair in Italy in April 2024, and mainland China book fairs, in order to enhance the visibility and influence of the “Hong Kong Smart eBook hub” and help local writers and publishers break into more overseas markets.

Event Highlight: https://youtu.be/OfAIS6kUt0s

With the advancement of technology, e-reading has transformed reading habits of the general public and has become a major trend for the future, especially as students can take advantage of the flexibility and convenience of e-books, as well as the rich online resources that stimulate their interest in reading. In December, the “Publishing 3.0 – Hong Kong Smart eBook hub” hub (“Publishing 3.0”) participated in the prestigious “Learning and Teaching Expo 2023,” sharing the status of electronic reading in Hong Kong with scholars and the public, as well as the challenges and experiences faced by schools in promoting electronic reading.

Dr. Sharon Wong, the Executive Director of the Hong Kong Reprographic Rights Licensing Society and Chairman of the “Publishing 3.0” Project Committee, shared some core principles of copyright and the application of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in the publishing industry along with its benefits, which can make the publishing of e-books and audiobooks faster and more convenient, thus contributing to the industry’s upgrading and transformation. She also shared how the “eBook Publishing Conversion Platform” of “Publishing 3.0” utilizes AI to translate Chinese books into English.

Professor Benny Zee, Director of Research and Knowledge Transfer Services at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, also discussed the market demand for reading and learning, analysing the trend of scholars and university students to “listen to books.” He believes that future reading trends need to overcome language barriers, and the “eBook Publishing Conversion Platform” of “Publishing 3.0” uses “text-to-speech translation technology” to translate e-books into Cantonese, Mandarin, and English audiobooks, which can bring more opportunities and development space to the publishing industry. He hopes that “Publishing 3.0” can be promoted to the academic community in the future, establishing cooperation with schools, teachers, and students to use AI to create school-based e-books and audiobooks for learning purposes.

Event Highlight: https://youtu.be/RGz-Ahbddi8

On 27 November 2023, the Hong Kong Reprographic Rights Licensing Society (HKRRLS) held an annual meeting with the HKSAR Customs and Excise Department (C&ED) to discuss and share the ongoing efforts to safeguard intellectual property rights, as well as to hold education seminars for the industry and education sector.

The meeting was attended by representatives from both parties, who exchanged views and experiences on various topics related to intellectual property rights, such as: the importance of protecting intellectual property rights in the digital age; the best practices and lessons learned from successful cases of intellectual property rights enforcement; and the importance of promoting a culture of respect for intellectual property rights.

During the online seminar held on October 28, as part of the Innovation and Technology Carnival (InnoCarnival), Dr. Sharon WONG, Executive Director of the Hong Kong Reprographic Rights Licensing Society and the Executive Chairlady (Administration) of the “Publishing 3.0” Organizing Committee, introduced the concept of “Publishing 3.0” and the important milestones of the “e-Book Publishing Conversion Platform”. At the same seminar, Dr. Frank TONG, Director of Research and Development and Technology Development at the Logistics and Supply Chain MultiTech R&D Centre, also shared insights into the application of AI in the “e-Book Publishing Conversion Platform”. They discussed the digitalization trends in the publishing industry, providing meaningful insights for the future development of “Publishing 3.0”.

 

Pub 3.0 team is currently joining the “Soaring Creativity – Hong Kong Pavilion” at Frankfurt Book Fair 2023 from 18 to 22 October 2023 to showcase the e-Book Publishing Conversion Platform and the first collection of “Hong Kong Smart e-Book Hub” with 400+ selected Hong Kong-published Chinese e-books that are available for copyright trading and bulk purchase. Dr Wong Yin Yue, Sharon, Executive Director of Hong Kong Reprographic Rights Licensing Society will also conduct two sharing sessions with the theme “Hong Kong Smart e-Book Hub ”, inviting everyone to ‘explore Hong Kong through reading ‘ during the book fair.

“Hong Kong Smart e-Book Hub” is a collection of selected Hong Kong smart e-books that are available for copyright trading or bulk purchase. Selected Hong Kong-published Chinese books have been translated and converted to e-books in Chinese and English, as well as audiobooks in Cantonese, Putonghua and English by the e-Book Publishing Conversion Platform driven by Artificial Intelligence (AI) under the project “Publishing 3.0 – Hong Kong Smart e-Book Hub” (Pub 3.0) . The “Hong Kong Smart e-book Hub” currently features classic works by renowned authors, as well as the latest masterpieces by emerging writers. These publications can be classified into following categories:
Living & Social Lives, History & Biography, Medical Healthcare, Literature & Fiction and Finance & Business.

The LSCM Logistics Summit featured a technology exhibition showcasing the latest developments in logistics and supply chain technologies by the LSCM. The representatives from Logistics and Supply Chain MultiTech R&D Centre (LSCM) under Innovation and Technology Commission introduced the “Celebrity x AI Voice Narration Book” project, demonstrating the AI voice technology developed by LSCM that is comparable to the quality of human narration. “Publishing 3.0” will actively explore the application of this technology to enhance the collection of audio books in the “Hong Kong Smart e-Book Hub” thereby increasing readers’ interest in audio books and promoting a greater interest in reading among the general public.

The International Federation of Reproduction Rights Organisations (IFRRO) held its General Assembly and World Congress in Reykjavik, Iceland in October 2023. The event, hosted by IFRRO’s Icelandic member, was a representative gathering of global members. The HKRRLS also delegated representative, the Executive Director Dr Sharon Wong to attend this significant event. The Congress was opened by the Guest of Honour, President of Iceland Guðni Th. Jóhannesson, who gave an inspiring speech on the value of literature, creativity, and copyright. The opening ceremony also featured a keynote address by Benoît Müller, Director of the Copyright Management Division at the World Intellectual Property Organisation. The event highlighted the challenges and opportunities of generative AI for creators and rightsholders, with a keynote presentation by Peter Schoppert, Director of National University of Singapore Press and Board Director of Singaporean RRO, CLASS. The event demonstrated IFRRO’s commitment to addressing key issues in the collective management sector. The Congress was also a testament to IFRRO’s role as a leading international network advocating for creators’ and publishers’ rights.

The “Publishing 3.0” set up a promotional booth at Hong Kong Book Fair 2023 from July 19 to 25, where different Hong Kong publishers, authors, editors as well as readers visited to experience various functions available on the “Publishing 3.0” one-stop service portal. These functions include translation of Chinese books into English using AI, conversion of printed books into e-books, as well as audio books in Cantonese, Putonghua and English using Text to Speech (TTS) technology.

Alongside the promotion at the fairground, a sharing session was held on July 22, 2023. Speakers included Dr. Charles CHEUNG, Senior Data Scientist & Deputy Director from Nividia AI Tech Centre Hong Kong branch, and Dr. Frank TONG, Director of the (LSCM) had in-depth exchanges with the participants on generative AI with industry transformation, as well as technical applications and operation of the “e-Book Publishing Conversion Platform”.