The Bureau of Copyright & Related Rights of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines held its annual Copyright Caravan on Nov. 13-14 at Coast Wise Hotel in Dumaguete City, which is part of its initiative focusing on knowledge-sharing copyright matters through seminars, and the promotion of copyright registration, projects, and activities.
The Dumaguete leg was also to support the City’s bid for UNESCO City of Literature designation.
IPOPHL Deputy Director-General Ann Claire Credo-Cabochan, a native of Dumaguete, stated that intellectual property rights is an important consideration for Dumaguete’s drive towards this UNESCO bid.
“IP rights is key to empowering and inspiring more writers, as well as the nation’s creative sector,” Cabochan said in her message on opening day of the two-day conference.
“With copyright, our creatives in Dumaguete and the rest of the country will be encouraged to create more works, fully knowing that their ownership will not be stolen from them, and that they can continue to benefit both artistically and economically from their creative talents,” she added.
The conference featured talks on copyright registration, licensing and contracts and fair use, and artificial intelligence by various experts from the IPOPHIL.
What made the Dumaguete leg unique, according to Bureau of Copyright & Related Rights Director Emerson Cuyo, was the infusion of literature talks by local experts.
Members of the Buglasan Writers Guild constituted the slate of local speakers, including BWG President and Dumaguete fictionist Ian Rosales Casocot, who talked about Dumaguete’s bid for UNESCO City of Literature.
Casocot also gave a lecture on turning the writing passion into a profession.
Other speakers include BWG Negros Oriental Representative, YATTA founder and playwright Dessa Quesada-Palm on community theatre, BWG member and novelist Geraldine Zialcita-Solon on writing for the international market, and BWG member and poet F. Jordan Carnice on techniques and modern trends in poetry.
Visiting speakers included Milflores publisher Andrea Pasion-Flores, who talked about the publishing process and the value chain, and novelist Jose Y. Dalisay Jr. who gave the keynote speech on the future of literature.
Attendees to the event included students and faculty from various schools in Dumaguete, as well as local writers and publishers. (Buglas Writers Guild)
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Photo Caption: IPOPHIL executives Atty. Exequiel Valerio (leftmost) and Atty. Emerson Cuyo (rightmost), flank the speakers of the Copyright Caravan, including (from left): Ian Rosales Casocot, Andrea Pasion-Flores, F. Jordan Carnice, Geraldine Solon, and Jose Dalisay Jr., with participants and attendees at the two-day conference in Dumaguete.
