This year the Conference is focused on authorship challenges in the age of integration. It traditionally marks World Book and Copyright Day (23 April), established by UNESCO, and International Intellectual Property Day (26 April), established by WIPO.

Yury Zubov, Head of Rospatent, made a welcome speech at the opening ceremony.

Mikhail Fedotov, Director of the UNESCO Chair on Copyright, Neighboring, Cultural and Information Rights at the International Research and Education Centre of the HSE University, Victoria Panova, Vice-Rector, Director of the Centre ‘BRICS Expert Council–Russia’, Pavel Spitsyn, Director of the WIPO Office in the Russian Federation, Lilia Gumerova, Chair of the Federation Council Committee on Science, Education and Culture, and Rory Waller, Commissioner of the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission of the Republic of South Africa greeted the participants of the Conference.

EAPO President Grigory Ivliev in his welcoming speech emphasized the author’s significance in the formation of integration unions.

The audience was greatly interested in the report of Professor Kamran Imanov, Chairman of the Assembly of the Berne Union, Chairman of the Board of the Intellectual Property Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan, on ‘Authorship, the right to protection of authorship and copyright’ and the report of Grigory Ivliev on ‘Development of authorship in industrial property’.

Mikhail Fedotov reported on ‘Basic Formulas of the General Theory of Authorship’ and Yury Zubov – on ‘Author in the Digital Ecosystem of Intellectual Property’.