AZAS Strengthens International Cooperation Through SCAPR and Invests in Technical Development

The latest SCAPR Working Groups Session, held in Athens from 30 September to 3 October 2025, gathered more than 120 delegates from 45 countries to address the future of performers’ rights, technological infrastructure, and legal challenges in the digital environment. For AZAS, these developments represent a crucial opportunity to deepen international cooperation and accelerate its own technical and institutional growth

Key Priorities Discussed Within SCAPR

The working sessions covered several strategic areas essential for modern collective rights management:

  • Digital infrastructure and data systems – Development of tools such as the Virtual Repertoire Database (VRDB), secure data exchange mechanisms, and the International Performer Number (IPN) for standardized identification of rightholders.
  • Artificial intelligence and legal adaptation – Addressing the impact of generative AI on authorship, liability, and fair remuneration.
  • Harmonization of remuneration practices – Including cross-border cooperation and comparative models of supplemental rights compensation.
  • Cybersecurity and interoperability – Ensuring that collective organizations can securely exchange data and apply compatible technical standards.

 

AZAS’s Strategic Outlook

AZAS views SCAPR not only as an international platform but as a roadmap for its own progress. The organization is prioritizing:

  • Upgrading technical capacities to ensure compatibility with international databases and identification systems such as VRDB and IPN.
  • Raising legal preparedness in areas affected by new technologies, especially artificial intelligence and digital distribution.
  • Strengthening cross-border ties with SCAPR members to ensure smoother cooperation, data exchange, and enforcement mechanisms.
  • Integrating international experience into national policy and advocacy efforts.

 

In this context, AZAS has invited its regional colleagues to actively support the finalization and approval of its tariff list. Ensuring AZAS’s full functionality is not only in the interest of Macedonian authors, but also contributes to a more coherent and reliable regional system of collective rights management.

A Statement from AZAS Leadership

Mr. Kiril Gjozev, General Secretary of AZAS, emphasized the strategic importance of this process:

“Participation in SCAPR initiatives is not a formality – it is a necessity for any organization that wants to be relevant in the international arena. Technical systems, legal expertise, and cross-border cooperation define the future of rights management. AZAS is committed to keeping pace with these standards and to becoming an active and reliable partner within the SCAPR community.”

 

Looking Ahead

AZAS will use SCAPR’s priorities as guidance to:

  1. Conduct technical upgrades and align with international data standards.
  2. Build legal expertise around AI, digital rights, and cross-border enforcement.
  3. Launch joint initiatives with regional and international partners.
  4. Intensify advocacy efforts in North Macedonia to remove the long-standing obstacles to tariff approval.

 

Through these efforts, AZAS aims to secure a modern, internationally integrated system that guarantees fair treatment and proper remuneration for audiovisual creators in North Macedonia and beyond.