“Copyright as a Development Approach”
This was the topic chosen for a seminar, whose organization was the responsibility of the Ministry of Tourism, the Secretariat of State for Art and Culture, the Portuguese Society of Authors and World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO – an agency from the United Nations), which took place on September 11th, at the Dili Convention Centre.
According to the Minister of Tourism, Francisco Kabualdi Lay, on the opening session, the aim of this seminar is to discuss what is copyrighting aiming to “protect masterpieces and their creators, inside and outside the country” and, considering there are many Timorese authors in several areas, to consider creating "a society of authors which defends intellectual property of Timor-Leste across the world”.
The seminar included four sessions: “Literature as a cultural-adding factor - the copyright of a literary work”; “Copyrighting in photographic arts - its recognition and defense”; “Collective management of copyright of musical pieces”; “Copyright of fine arts works -– Resale rights”; and the last panel on the issue “Raising awareness - the role of cultural organizations”.
The panel of speakers included Timorese writers, poets, musicians and plastic artists, as well as a copyright specialist, Lucas Serra, from Portugal, and members of Government and other experts.
The speakers focused on the identity of the people which, through language, literature, artistic expression and freedom, amongst others, is essential on the context of copyrighting, thus allowing not only cultural development but also economic development.
According to Lucas Serra, the lawyer specialized on Copyrighting, it will soon be delivered, to the Secretariat of State for Art and Culture, a draft-law regulating this area.
Isabel de Jesus Ximenes, Secretary of State for Art and Culture, who did the closing of the seminar, was pleased by the approaches presented throughout the panels and declared to be available to carry on the protection of Timorese intellectual property rights, within and across, borders.
