Distinguished creators were in attendance, including CISAC President and co-founder of the legendary band ABBA, Björn Ulvaeus; songwriter and actor Paul Williams; composer and performer Jean-Michel Jarre; singer and songwriter Yvonne Chaka Chaka; and many others.
A multitude of creators across all artistic disciplines, along with leading figures from the international art scene and the cultural sector, joined their voices in a moving tribute to human creators.
In a keynote speech regarding AI, creativity, and the future of human expression, Björn Ulvaeus emphasized, “Human creativity is not just expression. It is testimony. A life lived. The song is not just a product. It is evidence.”
Paris Commitment
During the CISAC General Assembly, the “Paris Commitment” was signed in the presence of representatives from the European Parliament, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), and other international cultural bodies. Its key pillars include:
- The active protection of human creativity, artistic expression, and cultural diversity, ensuring that technology respects the rights of creators through transparency, licensing, and fair remuneration.
- The enhancement of creative value through technological innovation.
- Strong cooperation between creators, collective management organizations, cultural institutions, and industry partners to safeguard the livelihoods, employment, and sustainable contributions of creators to society and culture.
- Transparency and fair remuneration for creators, strengthening collective management as a necessary institution for a fair and sustainable creative ecosystem.
The signature collection campaign is open to individual creators as well as to Organizations that wish to support the initiative through the official website.
AUTODIA: Meetings and engagements with a strong Greek presence
At the CISAC General Assembly and related events, AUTODIA was represented by Yiannis Glezos (Chairman of the Board), Phoebus (Board Member), Margarita Panagiotopoulou (CEO), and Ilianna Antoniou (Director of Communication & International Relations).
The team held a series of meetings with the CISAC management team, representatives of sister societies from around the world, and various artists and executives from cultural institutions, affirming the Greek organization’s constant and active presence in international forums and consultations on critical industry issues.
In addition, the AUTODIA delegates participated in a special event celebrating the 175th anniversary of the French copyright society, SACEM. As part of the celebrations, Ms. Panagiotopoulou also attended an event honoring the CEOs of member societies, organized by the French Ministry of Culture.
The Greek presence was further strengthened by the participation of the General Director of GEA, Dimitris Giarmenitis, as well as the Professor Irini Stamatoudi, Director of the Law School at UNIC Athens.
Ms. Stamatoudi joined a panel titled “Our Future: Public Policy and Cultural Support as an Antidote,” which focused on potential solutions for protecting human creativity in the age of machine-made content.
Finally, the program for international participants included a gala dinner at a famous city landmark, an initiative supported by French CMOs SACEM, ADAGP (visual artists/graphic designers), La SCAM (audiovisual producers), and SACD (playwrights).