A global campaign

OUR AIM is to establish an international campaign, writes the Summit Organising Committee. We should not think of campaign strategy in geographic or national terms. We need to target corporations, or sometimes a set of companies within a sector.

The campaign will involve a kaleidoscope of actions beyond writers' direct protest, including simultaneous or targeted approaches to advertisers and stockholders and lobbying of regulators. Legal action, while effective and potentially decisive, will undoubtedly take time - as will achieving changes to the law and new regulations. All the following parts of our global campaign will probably be needed alongside each other.

Legal action: We should aim to launch multiple lawsuits over Authors' Rights infringements in a tactical fashion, in more than one country - possibly after giving notice that such suits will be initiated unless Authors' Rights are respected.

Contractual: Develop international standard contracts, setting basic minimum standards for which authors should negotiate (e.g., with appropriate language defining scope of rights) with addenda addressing specific national environments.

Collective bargaining: Consider a co-ordinated international campaign aimed at one company or group.

Changing the law internationally and nationally: maintain a constant focus on activities within the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) whether they concern authors or performers, producers or publishers. Watch for and resist attempts by the World Trade Organization to draw Authors' Rights into its sphere. As the European Union is the keeper of the Continental European system of Authors' Rights - and thus the keeper of the system with the highest level of protection of Authors' Rights in the world today - it goes without saying that we must participate actively in the legislative process of the EU.

An international author-controlled licensing system: focus on the importance of close co-operation between licensing systems for authors all over the world and the possible advantages of creating one worldwide, author-controlled licensing system, or network of systems.

Establishing new legislative frameworks: Establish enforceable Authors' Rights and expanded, enforceable employee rights, both via collective bargaining rights based on freedom of association. Outlaw all-rights contracts as coercive and (where appropriate) as unfair, anti-competitive trade practices.

Economic database: establish a comprehensive media database that tracks mergers and acquisitions, ownership, internal corporate strategies, regulatory environments and changing employment conditions worldwide.