CLDP, in cooperation with the Georgian Copyright Association (GCA), hosted two one-day workshops in Tbilisi, Georgia for approximately 80 Georgian composers and visual artists. The April 15th workshop for musical authors was led by Nancy Neil, Vice President for Repertory of the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) and featured three main sessions with GCA Chairman Giga Kobaladze on Protecting Your Rights in Original Musical Works, Synchronization Rights and Works for Hire, and Derivation of Musical Works. The second workshop on April 16th for visual artists included fashion and graphic designers, painters, sculptors, illustrators and photographers. Adrienne Fields, Associate Counsel at the Artists Rights Society (ARS) led 3 sessions with GCA Chairman Kobaladze on Managing the Copyright of Visual Artists, Licensing and Protecting Works of Art Online and Topics of Interest for Artists and Copyright Owners.

Participants noted that simply having this type of forum for discussion was critical and rare for them. They were very appreciative of the opportunity not only to dialogue with the advisors, but to speak about their personal experiences and issues with collective copyright management in Georgia among fellow artists. By simply sharing their experiences and outcomes, the dialogue provided valuable guidance and information for those less knowledgeable and generated streams of questions.

Through CLDP’s ongoing technical assistance program in partnership with GCA, the public and private sector in Georgia will have a greater understanding of the importance of IP protection and the integral role played by collective management organizations in protecting the rights of creators and end-users of intellectual property. These programs will help produce predictable, harmonized, and efficient copyright protection in Georgia.