On July 22, 2022, an international conference on "Activities of Collective Management Organizations for the Protection of the Rights of Authors and Related Rights Holders at the Modern Stage" was organized by the Center for Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights under the Intellectual Property Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The purpose of the international event is to promote the protection of copyright and related rights, to expand cooperation between organizations that manage property rights on a collective basis in this field, and to ensure the collective management of property rights of authors (right holders) and related rights owners, including their rights to receive remuneration, also exchange of experience and mutual support.

Welcoming the Conference, Member of Board of İntellectual Property Agency Mr. Sanan Tapdigov spoke about the importance of the event. He emphasized that large-scale projects are being implemented in our territories freed from occupation as a result of the 44-day Patriotic War. Mr.Tapdigov said that the economic development, which was founded by Great Leader Heydar Aliyev, is being successfully continued today, and reforms are also being implemented in the field of intellectual property protection.

Chairman of Board of "Musical Work Owners Professional Assosiation" (MESAM) of Turkey Recep Ergül gave information about the organization and spoke about his country's experience in the field of copyright protection

At the event, the Chief of Staff of the Intellectual Property Agency, Khudayat Hasanli, delivered a report on "Transparency - as the main condition of mutual trust between the author and the collective management organizations". The report touched upon the work done by the Agency in the direction of supporting the strengthening of collective management organizations acting in our country, encouraging the creation of new CMOs, and the importance of strictly following the principles of transparency and accountability in the management of property rights.

Afterwards, Grigory Turinchev, Deputy Director General of "Russian Author Society" (RAO) of Russian Federation for international relations, Muharrem Ömer Özgür, representative of “Professional Association of Musical Work Owners Group” (MSG), Abdumumin Yoldashov, Deputy Chairman of the “Society for the Protection of Copyright and Related Rights” (UzAvtor) of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Murad Babayev, Chairman of Board of the "Digital and Audiovisual Broadcasting Industry" Public Union of Azerbaijan, Govhar Hasanzade, Chairman of Board of “for Copyright” Public Union, Huseyn Mehdiyev, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the "Azerbaijan Professional Film Directors Guild" Public Union, gave information about the activities and experiences of their organizations.

Speaking at the Conference, Najaf Guliyev, Director of the Center for Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights under the Intellectual Property Agency, made a presentation containing information about the Center's activities and collective management organizations accredited by the Agency. It was emphasized that the "Azerbaijani Authors" Public Union, which previously assumed the function of managing the economic rights of musical authors on a collective basis, did not establish its activities in accordance with the requirements of the current legislation, did not comply with openness and transparency, and lost its reputation among the authors and other rights holders it represented. The documents required for accreditation have not been submitted to the Agency, although the Public Union has been requested to undergo accreditation several times in accordance with the existing legislative acts.

The Conference was attended by heads and members of organizations that manage the economic rights of authors and related rights owners representing our country on a collective basis as well as artists, composers, writers, phonogram producers of our country. Representatives of collective management organizations from Turkey, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan also took part in the Conference.

At the end of the event, foreign and local collective management organizations participating in the Conference signed a joint statement on the broadening of cooperation.