Opening the public hearing, Culture and Information Committee Chairperson Vesna Marjanovic underlined the importance of adopting amendments and modifications to the Law on Copyright and Related Rights for improvements in the field. Marjanovic said that the public hearing aims to draw attention to and shed light on the issue of dramatic, film and television artists’ and performers’ rights.

National Assembly Maja Gojkovic’s letter of support was read at the gathering, stating that she believed the public hearing would help us come closer to regulating such an important area as copyright and related rights of performers, as a state and a society.

“I am glad that, today, the Culture and Information Committee launches a series of public hearings on the topic of copyright because in September we are to embark upon an explanatory screening, followed by a bilateral screening in November. This will help us prepare by then and best show, first to ourselves, and then to the European Union as well, what our next steps would be”, states the Speaker in her letter, adding that there are parts of the legislation that need to be harmonised with Europe’s. The letter also states that the new parliamentary practice which perceives the importance of public hearings at the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia is an introduction into a more intensive legislative work, necessary for the regulation of the area, and on that long and arduous road the Speaker promises full support and personal commitment.

State Secretary at the Ministry of Culture and the Media Dejan Ristic presented the proposed amendments to certain articles of the Law on Copyright and Related Rights initiated by the Ministry, to the participants of the public hearing.

The importance of increased precision in the legislation of and abidance by copyright and related rights of dramatic, film and television artists and performers, as well as the need to boost transparency in the area, were highlighted by members of the Culture and Information Committee Srdjan Dragojevic and Nenad Milosavljevic, as well as the representative of the Association of Film Actors of Serbia Dragan Bjelogrlic and of the Association of Film Artists of Serbia Zoran Simjanovic.

State Secretary at the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development Aleksandar Belic and Director of the Intellectual Property Office Branka Totic spoke of the draft law amending and modifying the Law on Copyright and Related Rights.

Professor at the University of Belgrade Faculty of Law Slobodan Markovic and lawyers of the Association of Actors of Serbia Dragoljub M. Cosovic and Association of jazz, pop and rock musicians of Serbia Ivan Minovic also spoke at the public hearing.

The public hearing was attended by MPs, representatives of the Ministry of Culture and the Media, Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development and artists’ associations.