International Publishers Association
Encyclopedia
The International Publishers Association (IPA) is an international publishing industry federation of national Publisher associations representing book and journal publishing. It is a non-profit and non-governmental organization, founded in 1896 to promote and protect publishing and to raise awareness for publishing in the context of economic, cultural and political development. The IPA actively opposes censorship
and promotes copyright
, literacy
and the freedom to publish.
The IPA represents the interests of the publishing industry at international level.
, France
, by the leading publishers at that time the initial aim of the IPA was to ensure that countries throughout the world adopted copyright law and implemented the then new international copyright treaty, the 1886 Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works
.
The IPA, active mostly in Europe during its first century, provided a platform for national publishers to voice their concerns for future important issues. From its first year, IPA members called to countries to eliminate custom duties to intellectual products, and the tenth Congress in 1933 dealt for the first time with book-fairs.
In 1962 the IPA’s headquarters moved from Zurich to Geneva. In the same year, at the Barcelona Congress, regular connections with UNESCO
were established
The promotion of copyright remains one of the IPA's main objectives. Since its establishment the IPA also promotes and defends the freedom to publish, which it describes as a "fundamental aspect of the human right to freedom of expression. As an industry association IPA continues to deal with a range of issues affecting publishers, such as book fairs, standards, piracy, literacy, textbook procurement policy, collective licensing, VAT, professional training, and promotion of reading. The IPA also functions as a meeting place for publishers to network and conduct business.
, Asia
, Australia
, Europe
and the Americas
.
The IPA has consultative status as non-governmental organisation at the United Nations
.
.
The President is elected by the General Assembly and has a term of two years. He or she is the head of the General Assembly and the Executive Committee. The Executive committee formulates plans and policies for the General Assembly to discuss and vote on. The IPA also elects two Vice Presidents and regional representatives. A Secretary General acts as the chief operating officer.
The President for 2011-2013 is Youngsuk “Y.S.” Chi (Elsevier
, U.S.A.)http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/intro.cws_home/management_profiles#YoungsukChi, and the Vice Presidents are Ibrahim El Moallem
(Dar El Shorouk http://www.shorouk.com/; Egypt), and Alain Kouck (Editis
, France). The current Secretary General is Jens Bammel.
(UPU), World Trade Organisation (WTO), International Telecommunication Union
(ITU), Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
(OECD). Recently, IPA has participated in the WIPO Stakeholder Platform, an initiative to explore the specific needs and concerns of copyright owners and reading-impaired persons.
IPA also has regular connections with industry and regulatory organizations. These include national publisher associations, organizations representing special consumer interests, and reproduction rights organizations which essentially collect license fees for rights holders. For example, IPA is an associate member of the International Federation for Reproduction Rights Organizations (IFRRO) and since 2004, represents publisher interests on the IFRRO Board. It is also a member of International Standard organizations EDItEUR and International ISBN Agency.
, France
, where publishers fully and openly discuss relevant, basic, and long-term industry problems and challenges. The next 29th Congress will be held in Cape Town
, South Africa
, in 2012.http://www.ipa2012.co.za/
, Germany
, to mark the centenary of the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works
. The Copyright Symposiums are held in partnership with IPA member organisations.
hosted the 7th Copyright Symposium 2010, held for the first time in the Arab world. Attended by 270 delegates from 53 countries, the two day symposium was attended by government officials, legal experts, publishers and authors. Plenary speeches and seminars covered topics such as copyright and Islamic law, publishing in the internet age, collective licensing, the digital market place, global copyright trends and the future of copyright in emerging markets. The symposium was held immediately before the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, 2 to 7 March.
The IPA website offers links to many websites dealing with the freedom to publish, such as AAP International's Freedom to Publish Committee, Amnesty International
, and the International Freedom of Expression Exchange
(IFEX).
The IPA began working with IFEX in 2004. IFEX was established in 1992 to combat all the offenses that were taking place against freedom of expression. It has 81 member organizations and monitors and reports violations using an Action Alert Network (AAN). This network allows members throughout the world to campaign against violations using tools such as letter writing campaigns, media coverage, and awareness-raising events. Many of the organizations' actions are focused on freeing imprisoned journalists and keeping journalists around the world safe.
2011 recipient Bui Chat was arrested by Vietnam authorities shortly after his return from Buenos Aires, where he received his prize. Though temporarily released in May, he is still subject to surveillance and further interrogation. http://www.rfa.org/english/news/vietnam/publisher-05022011204900.html
particular when religions are viewed from a political point of view. As organizations representing writers, artists and journalists of all faiths and none, we warn against any regulations prohibiting criticism of any religion or any set of ideas.” http://www.internationalpublishers.org/images/stories/FtP/eng_fr%20pr.pdf
and other interests of persons with print disabilities. Since 2009 WBU, among other related organizations, and rights holder organizations such as IPA have discussed in the WIPO Stakeholder Platform to discuss without the interference of international organization politics. Since March 2011 the collaboration in this forum is suspended.
, under which cities must promote books and foster books through various events, while conforming to the principles of freedom of expression, freedom to publish and to disseminate information. http://www.internationalpublishers.org/index.php/literacy-a-reading/world-book-capital-cities/origins-a-rationale The title enables the promotion and communication of the winning city and is also a symbolic achievement. A nominating committee (formed of IPA, IFLA, IBF and UNESCO) decides on the city each year. Following Madrid, Alexandria, and New Delhi, the current and past capitals are as follows.
2004: Antwerp (Belgium); 2005: Montreal (Canada); 2006: Turin (Italy); 2007: Bogotá (Colombia); 2008: Amsterdam (The Netherlands); 2009: Beirut (Lebanon); 2010: Ljubljana (Slovenia); 2011: Buenos Aires (Argentina); 2012: Yerevan (Armenia).
(ACAP) and Onix (publishing protocol)
. It is a charter member of EDItEUR, an international organization coordinating standard setting for electronic publications. http://www.editeur.org/5/Members-List/Single-Detail/All/55
. The IPA supports the Florence Agreement on the Importation of Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Materials (1950) and the Nairobi Protocol (1976). These international treaties allow for the free circulation of educational, scientific, and cultural materials without customs fees. Ninety-eight countries around the world have signed the Florence Agreement. http://www.unesco.org/culture/laws/florence/html_eng/page1.shtml
The IPA also helped establish UNESCO’s World Book and Copyright Day
. The purpose of this day is to promote reading, publishing and the protection of intellectual property through copyright http://portal.unesco.org/culture/en/ev.php-URL_ID=5125&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html.
Censorship
thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
and promotes copyright
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
, literacy
Literacy
Literacy has traditionally been described as the ability to read for knowledge, write coherently and think critically about printed material.Literacy represents the lifelong, intellectual process of gaining meaning from print...
and the freedom to publish.
The IPA represents the interests of the publishing industry at international level.
History
Founded in 1896 in ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, by the leading publishers at that time the initial aim of the IPA was to ensure that countries throughout the world adopted copyright law and implemented the then new international copyright treaty, the 1886 Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works
Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works
The Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, usually known as the Berne Convention, is an international agreement governing copyright, which was first accepted in Berne, Switzerland in 1886.- Content :...
.
The IPA, active mostly in Europe during its first century, provided a platform for national publishers to voice their concerns for future important issues. From its first year, IPA members called to countries to eliminate custom duties to intellectual products, and the tenth Congress in 1933 dealt for the first time with book-fairs.
In 1962 the IPA’s headquarters moved from Zurich to Geneva. In the same year, at the Barcelona Congress, regular connections with UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
were established
The promotion of copyright remains one of the IPA's main objectives. Since its establishment the IPA also promotes and defends the freedom to publish, which it describes as a "fundamental aspect of the human right to freedom of expression. As an industry association IPA continues to deal with a range of issues affecting publishers, such as book fairs, standards, piracy, literacy, textbook procurement policy, collective licensing, VAT, professional training, and promotion of reading. The IPA also functions as a meeting place for publishers to network and conduct business.
Membership
The IPA is a federation of national, regional and specialist publishers' associations. The IPA has more than 60 organisational members from more than 50 countries in AfricaAfrica
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
.
The IPA has consultative status as non-governmental organisation at the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
.
Committees
- Copyright Committee
- Freedom to Publish Committee
- Literacy & Book Industry Policy Committee
- International Education Publishers Forum
Governing Bodies
The General Assembly is the governing body. The assembly is composed of two representatives of the publishers association from each country; each is allowed a vote in assembly decisions. The assembly meets at least once a year, usually at the Frankfurt Book FairFrankfurt Book Fair
The Frankfurt Book Fair is the world's largest trade fair for books, based on the number of publishing companies represented. As to the number of visitors, the Turin Book Fair attracts about as many visitors, viz. some 300,000....
.
The President is elected by the General Assembly and has a term of two years. He or she is the head of the General Assembly and the Executive Committee. The Executive committee formulates plans and policies for the General Assembly to discuss and vote on. The IPA also elects two Vice Presidents and regional representatives. A Secretary General acts as the chief operating officer.
The President for 2011-2013 is Youngsuk “Y.S.” Chi (Elsevier
Elsevier
Elsevier is a publishing company which publishes medical and scientific literature. It is a part of the Reed Elsevier group. Based in Amsterdam, the company has operations in the United Kingdom, USA and elsewhere....
, U.S.A.)http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/intro.cws_home/management_profiles#YoungsukChi, and the Vice Presidents are Ibrahim El Moallem
Ibrahim El Moallem
Ibrahim El Moallem is the Chairman and founder of Shorouk Group. He leads a group of companies which consists of:*Dar El Shorouk; the world’s leading Arabic publisher and distributor...
(Dar El Shorouk http://www.shorouk.com/; Egypt), and Alain Kouck (Editis
Editis
Editis is the second-largest publishing group in France, created in January 2004 by the regrouping of approximately 60% publishing assets of Vivendi, the other part having been sold to Lagardère Group....
, France). The current Secretary General is Jens Bammel.
List of IPA Presidents in the last two decades
- 1988-1992: Andrew Neilly
- 1992-1996: Fernando Guedes
- 1996-2000: Alan Gründ
- 2000-2004: Pere Vicens
- 2004-2008: Ana Maria Cabanellas
- 2009-2010: Herman P. Spruijt
- 2011- : Youngsuk “Y.S.” Chi
Associated organizations
IPA has official consultative status with United Nations organizations such as the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and the Universal Postal UnionUniversal Postal Union
The Universal Postal Union is an international organization that coordinates postal policies among member nations, in addition to the worldwide postal system. The UPU contains four bodies consisting of the Congress, the Council of Administration , the Postal Operations Council and the...
(UPU), World Trade Organisation (WTO), International Telecommunication Union
International Telecommunication Union
The International Telecommunication Union is the specialized agency of the United Nations which is responsible for information and communication technologies...
(ITU), Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development is an international economic organisation of 34 countries founded in 1961 to stimulate economic progress and world trade...
(OECD). Recently, IPA has participated in the WIPO Stakeholder Platform, an initiative to explore the specific needs and concerns of copyright owners and reading-impaired persons.
IPA also has regular connections with industry and regulatory organizations. These include national publisher associations, organizations representing special consumer interests, and reproduction rights organizations which essentially collect license fees for rights holders. For example, IPA is an associate member of the International Federation for Reproduction Rights Organizations (IFRRO) and since 2004, represents publisher interests on the IFRRO Board. It is also a member of International Standard organizations EDItEUR and International ISBN Agency.
Congress
IPA organizes a Publishers Congress every four years, starting from 1896 in ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, where publishers fully and openly discuss relevant, basic, and long-term industry problems and challenges. The next 29th Congress will be held in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, in 2012.http://www.ipa2012.co.za/
2008 Publishers Congress, Seoul
The 28th Congress attracted nearly 700 participants form over 45 countries. In its resolution, the Congress expressed the need for reform in the freedom to publish in Burma/Myanmar, China, Iran, and Vietnam, calling for the immediate release of Publishers, writers, journalists and bloggers in prison or under house arrest for having exercised their rights to freedom of expression. http://www.federacioneditores.org/0_Resources/Documentos/28th_IPA_Resolutions.pdfCopyright Symposiums
Since 1986 the IPA host the IPA Copyright Symposium ever four years. The first Copyright Symposium was held in 1986, HeidelbergHeidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, to mark the centenary of the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works
Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works
The Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, usually known as the Berne Convention, is an international agreement governing copyright, which was first accepted in Berne, Switzerland in 1886.- Content :...
. The Copyright Symposiums are held in partnership with IPA member organisations.
7th Copyright Symposium 2010, Abu Dhabi
From 28 February to 1 March 2010 Abu DhabiAbu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi , literally Father of Gazelle, is the capital and the second largest city of the United Arab Emirates in terms of population and the largest of the seven member emirates of the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi lies on a T-shaped island jutting into the Persian Gulf from the central western...
hosted the 7th Copyright Symposium 2010, held for the first time in the Arab world. Attended by 270 delegates from 53 countries, the two day symposium was attended by government officials, legal experts, publishers and authors. Plenary speeches and seminars covered topics such as copyright and Islamic law, publishing in the internet age, collective licensing, the digital market place, global copyright trends and the future of copyright in emerging markets. The symposium was held immediately before the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, 2 to 7 March.
Freedom to Publish
One of the IPA's main goals is to protect the right of publishers to produce and distribute the materials they choose to. In other words, to protect their basic human right to freedom of expression. The IPA bases its beliefs on the following human rights standards:- Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human RightsUniversal Declaration of Human RightsThe Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a declaration adopted by the United Nations General Assembly . The Declaration arose directly from the experience of the Second World War and represents the first global expression of rights to which all human beings are inherently entitled...
- Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political RightsInternational Covenant on Civil and Political RightsThe International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights is a multilateral treaty adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 16, 1966, and in force from March 23, 1976...
- Article 10 of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
The IPA website offers links to many websites dealing with the freedom to publish, such as AAP International's Freedom to Publish Committee, Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
, and the International Freedom of Expression Exchange
International Freedom of Expression Exchange
The International Freedom of Expression eXchange , founded in 1992, is a global network of around 90 non-governmental organisations that promotes and defends the right to freedom of expression....
(IFEX).
The IPA began working with IFEX in 2004. IFEX was established in 1992 to combat all the offenses that were taking place against freedom of expression. It has 81 member organizations and monitors and reports violations using an Action Alert Network (AAN). This network allows members throughout the world to campaign against violations using tools such as letter writing campaigns, media coverage, and awareness-raising events. Many of the organizations' actions are focused on freeing imprisoned journalists and keeping journalists around the world safe.
Freedom to Publish Freedom Prize
The IPA awards the IPA Freedom to Publish Prize annually since 2005, to honour a person or a organization anywhere in the world that has defenced and promoted the freedom publish with courage. It consists of a monetary award and a certificate. The list of past winners is as follows.- 2011 Bui Chat (Giay Vun Publishing, VietnamVietnamVietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
) http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/book-news/awards-and-prizes/article/46975-bui-chat-of-vietnam-wins-ipa-freedom-to-publish-prize.html - 2010 Israpil Shovkhalov and Viktor Kogan-Yasny (DOSH Magazine, ChechnyaChechnyaThe Chechen Republic , commonly referred to as Chechnya , also spelled Chechnia or Chechenia, sometimes referred to as Ichkeria , is a federal subject of Russia . It is located in the southeastern part of Europe in the Northern Caucasus mountains. The capital of the republic is the city of Grozny...
-RussiaRussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
) Special Award to Irfan Sanci (Sel Yayıncilik) - 2009 Sihem Bensedrine, Neziha Rjiba and Mohamed Talbi (OLPEC, TunisiaTunisiaTunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
) - 2008 Ragip Zarkolu (Belge, TurkeyTurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
) - 2007 Trevor Ncube (Zimbabwe), Special Award to Anna PolitkovskayaAnna PolitkovskayaAnna Stepanovna Politkovskaya was a Russian journalist, author, and human rights activist known for her opposition to the Chechen conflict and then-President of Russia Vladimir Putin...
and Hrant DinkHrant DinkHrant Dink or Հրանտ Դինք ) was a Turkish citizen of Armenian descent editor, journalist and columnist.... - 2006 Shalah Lahiji (Roshangaran, IranIranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
)
2011 recipient Bui Chat was arrested by Vietnam authorities shortly after his return from Buenos Aires, where he received his prize. Though temporarily released in May, he is still subject to surveillance and further interrogation. http://www.rfa.org/english/news/vietnam/publisher-05022011204900.html
Prohibiton of Religious Defamation
In 2008 the IPA adopted a resolution against prohibiting religious defamation, in light of the UN Ad Hoc Committee session on complementary Standards called at the initiative of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC). Later in 2009 the forum passed a resolution condemning religious defamation as a human rights violation, also noting that “Islam is frequently and wrongly associated with human rights violation and terrorism.” http://archives.dawn.com/archives/39118 In a 2010 Press Release, the IPA stated that “Human Rights protect individual human beings, not institutions or religions. Criticism of religions and religious practices must be allowed, inparticular when religions are viewed from a political point of view. As organizations representing writers, artists and journalists of all faiths and none, we warn against any regulations prohibiting criticism of any religion or any set of ideas.” http://www.internationalpublishers.org/images/stories/FtP/eng_fr%20pr.pdf
Google Print Library Project
In 2005 IPA issued a joint statement with PEN USA on the Google Print Library Project. The statement raised concerns that Google is disregarding the rights of authors and is infringing copyright law. In the statement the two organisations asserts the rights of an author to determine whether their work will be available in a digital format. The statement raises the concern that once materials are available digitally it is hard to monitor how many copies are produced, which is an infringement of copyright legislation. The IPA and PEN USA call for Google to obtain author permission before making works available in the Google Print Library Project. They also wish for Google to work more closely with authors to make sure that authors’ rights are not violated.World Blind Union (WBU)
The IPA collaborates closely with the World Blind UnionWorld Blind Union
The World Blind Union is an organisation of blind and partially sighted persons of the world, representing 180 million blind and visually impaired persons from about 600 different organisations in 158 countries....
and other interests of persons with print disabilities. Since 2009 WBU, among other related organizations, and rights holder organizations such as IPA have discussed in the WIPO Stakeholder Platform to discuss without the interference of international organization politics. Since March 2011 the collaboration in this forum is suspended.
Folklore Protection
Protecting Traditional Knowledge and Expression of Folklore may be a concern for Publishers that publish fairy tales and traditional stories, school books with reference to local customs, or related scientific journal articles. There have been several international efforts for special protection of traditional folklore, notably by WIPO and UNESCO. Currently, IPA participates in discussions through WIPO’s program for traditional cultural expressions. IPA tries to make sure the rights of freedom of expression and publisher’s positive impact relating to such cultural material are not threatened. http://www.wipo.int/tk/en/tk/ffm/ffm-report-comments/msg00019.htmlWorld Book Capital Cities
IPA proposed the idea of nominating one city a year as a World Book CapitalWorld Book Capital
World Book Capital is a title bestowed by UNESCO to a city in recognition of the quality of its programs to promote books and reading and the dedication of all players in the book industry....
, under which cities must promote books and foster books through various events, while conforming to the principles of freedom of expression, freedom to publish and to disseminate information. http://www.internationalpublishers.org/index.php/literacy-a-reading/world-book-capital-cities/origins-a-rationale The title enables the promotion and communication of the winning city and is also a symbolic achievement. A nominating committee (formed of IPA, IFLA, IBF and UNESCO) decides on the city each year. Following Madrid, Alexandria, and New Delhi, the current and past capitals are as follows.
2004: Antwerp (Belgium); 2005: Montreal (Canada); 2006: Turin (Italy); 2007: Bogotá (Colombia); 2008: Amsterdam (The Netherlands); 2009: Beirut (Lebanon); 2010: Ljubljana (Slovenia); 2011: Buenos Aires (Argentina); 2012: Yerevan (Armenia).
Value Added Taxes (VAT)
The IPA advocates for favorable indirect tax systems such as VAT on publications of all formats. For VAT purposes IPA considers books should be “zero-rated.” Such policies have been already implemented in the UK, Norway, Korea, Mexico, Thailand. In its 2010 Global Survey for VAT/GST/Sales tax rates for books and electronic publications, it has been reported that 15 countries have exemptions for all books, 33 have reduced rates for all books, 26 have reduced or exemption for books with limitations, and 13 have no reductions that apply. http://www.internationalpublishers.org/images/stories/VAT/24157%20-%20a4%20portrait%20world%20map%20books%20-%202010%20v1%208%20full%20book.pdfInternational Standards
As an international federation, one of the activities of the IPA is to facilitate the setting of international standards in publishing. One of the most famous and most used international standards are ISBN and ISSN a unique multi-digit identifier for individual books and periodicals, respectively (both print and electronic)IPA is an observer to the International ISBN Agency Board and has the right to attend all board meetings to represent the publishing industry's interests. Other assisting organizations in the ISBN Agency include the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA). IPA maintains liaison relationships with the ISO team working on information resources. Other systems the IPA supports through creator organizations are the Automated Content Access ProtocolAutomated Content Access Protocol
Automated Content Access Protocol was proposed in 2006 as a method of providing machine-readable permissions information for content, in the hope that it would have allowed automated processes to be compliant with publishers' policies without the need for human interpretation of legal terms...
(ACAP) and Onix (publishing protocol)
Onix (publishing protocol)
ONIX currently refers to any of three XML formats for use primarily within the book trade. ONIX was originally a single standard for capturing bibliographic data relating to books. That standard is now referred to as ONIX for Books and has been expanded to include better support for eBooks...
. It is a charter member of EDItEUR, an international organization coordinating standard setting for electronic publications. http://www.editeur.org/5/Members-List/Single-Detail/All/55
Educational Publishing
The IPA created the International Educational Publishers Forum to support a sustainable educational publishing industry. Digital Migration of educational material, a topic associated with curriculum change, new technologies, and piracy prevention, has been a recent issue in this forum. The forum’s main aim is to voice effectively the benefits of an innovative, diverse and high quality publishing industry in open markets.Free Book Circulation
Part of the IPA’s mission is to distribute free literary materials to those in need. To fulfill this mission the IPA maintains working relations with UNESCOUNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
. The IPA supports the Florence Agreement on the Importation of Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Materials (1950) and the Nairobi Protocol (1976). These international treaties allow for the free circulation of educational, scientific, and cultural materials without customs fees. Ninety-eight countries around the world have signed the Florence Agreement. http://www.unesco.org/culture/laws/florence/html_eng/page1.shtml
The IPA also helped establish UNESCO’s World Book and Copyright Day
World Book and Copyright Day
World Book and Copyright Day is a yearly event on 23 April, organized by UNESCO to promote reading, publishing and copyright...
. The purpose of this day is to promote reading, publishing and the protection of intellectual property through copyright http://portal.unesco.org/culture/en/ev.php-URL_ID=5125&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html.