Draft:International Authors Forum

The International Authors Forum (IAF) is an umbrella organisation made up of organisations representing writers, audio-visual writers and visual artists, formed in 2013. . IAF states that its campaigns on authors interests at international and national levels, its activity is often focused on authors' interests in copyright and related rights, and authors' contracts. IAF attends the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) as an observer. It is on the WIPO for Creators Advisory Board. of the IAF is participates in the nomination process for the UNESCO World Book Capital. IAF's members are organisations representing authors (writers, audio-visual authors and visual artists) including authors' guilds, unions, trade bodies, collecting societies, associations and advocacy groups.

History
IAF was formally incorporated in 2013 as an umbrella organisation, with members being professional organisations and other such bodies representing authors, to advocate for authors at the international level. The writer Maureen Duffy took a role in generating support for the organisation. IAF officially launched at WIPO in December 2013 with an event featuring authors Maureen Duffy, Joanne Harris, Robert Levine and Roberto Cabot.

The John Degen, of the founding member The Writers' Union of Canada was elected as the first chair of the organisation in 2014.

IAF has supported the establishment of the Artist's Resale Right (or Droit de suite) and Public Lending Right (PLR) around the world. In 2015 IAF established a partnership to work with the Public Lending Right International Network. The organisation has been active on the issue of authors' contracts, it developed principles of fair contracts in agreement with other authors organisation which it calls for publishers to adhere to.

As the EU Copyright Directive was in development the IAF highlighted elements of the IAF publicly commented on elements of the Directive that had potentially positive results for authors.

Aims and Operation
At the IAF's launch Maureen Duffy stated that IAF would support authors in the awareness and protection of their rights, stating that "There are far too many countries with no organisations to support their local authors and they tend to get ripped off and they will be increasingly ripped off if they are not made aware of what their rights are and how they should be protected."

Subjects IAF has listed as its areas of focus include:


 * Moral and economic rights from the perspective of authors.
 * Contracts for authors.
 * Artist's Resale Right (ARR) - Which remunerates artists for the resale of originals and limited copies of their work.
 * Public Lending Right (PLR) - Which remunerates authors for the use of their works in public libraries.
 * Artificial Intelligence and its challenges and opportunities for authors.

IAF advocates for licensing as a method of remuneration for authors, where a licence can be structured so that a school can legally copy a book or other copyright protected material for multiple students without needing to purchase a copy for each student, whilst fairly compensating the author for the use.

IAF holds a permanent observer status as an international non-governmental organisation at the World Intellectual Property Organisation. IAF attends the Standing Committee for Copyright and Related Rights sessions, presenting authors' organisations views on copyright.

In its position as an umbrella organisation focused on authors, the IAF takes part in the advisory committee for nominations for the World Book Capital.

IAF's Creating a Living initiative has attempted to identify trends in authors earnings in various countries and propose solutions.

In 2023, IAF obtained the status of observer at the UNESCO 2005 Convention on Protection and Promotion of Diversity of Cultural Expression, where collaborates with other civil societies on issues of freedom of expression at international level.

In the same year, in response to the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI), which could undermine the immense value that authors bring to society, the IAF developed a set of principles for future governance on AI, authors, and intellectual property

Governance
IAF is governed by a Steering Committee made up of representatives from it's member organisations. The IAF Steering Committee serves for three years term and reflects the outcomes of an election process which take places prior to the IAF Annual General Meeting.