Agreement has been reached on a partnership between the International Authors Forum and the International Public Lending Right Network, which will work together to promote PLR internationally. A Public Lending Right is the right for authors (and illustrators) to get paid when their works are used by the public free of charge.
Since the IPLR Network’s establishment in 1995, the number of countries with PLR systems has increased from 14 to 33. The Network brings together countries with working PLR systems and those interested in establishing such systems, provides updates on the latest PLR developments and shares best practice. It actively promotes the spread of PLR internationally to help ensure that authors’ rights to be remunerated for the lending out of their works through public libraries are recognised. The next of the Network’s two-yearly conferences will be held in The Hague between 24th and 25th September 2015.
Dr Jim Parker, previous Head of the UK PLR office, who set up the IPLR Network, said, “As Co-ordinator of the IPLR Network I am delighted to be working in partnership with IAF. There is still much to be done internationally in pursuit of our shared aims of getting wider recognition for PLR. This partnership strengthens our hands enormously in seeking to achieve these aims.”
IAF was established in 2013 to strengthen the global position of authors. It is a network of 46 authors’ organisations, representing nearly half a million writers and visual artists worldwide.
Notable British writer Maureen Duffy, who led the successful campaign by the Writers’ Action Group for the establishment of UK PLR in 1979 and now plays a key role in IAF, said, “The principle underlying PLR that creators’ work should not be regarded as available for free is essential to writers’ livelihoods. We are delighted that Dr Parker will continue his work expanding the principle and practice internationally.”