AZAS participated in two significant events organized by CISAC (the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers): the Annual Budapest Seminar on 10 December and the Workshop for Developing AV Societies from Europe on 11 December. Held back-to-back in the Hungarian capital, these events brought together professionals from across Europe and beyond to share experiences, challenges, and solutions in collective rights management.

AZAS was represented by its Secretary General, Mr. Kiril Gjozev, who actively contributed to discussions and engaged with peers from a wide range of CMOs, including those from Türkiye, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Croatia, Armenia, Albania, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Norway, Poland, and the Czech Republic.

Key Topics: Digital Licensing, AV Documentation, and Regional Cooperation

The Budapest Seminar focused on challenges in broadcasting and digital licensing across Central and Eastern Europe, including market trends, ECJ case law, and collective licensing models for music and audiovisual repertoires. Industry experts and representatives from CISAC, BIEM, Nielsen, and various CMOs contributed to in-depth panels and analysis.

The following day, the AV Workshop explored foundational aspects of audiovisual repertoire management, from licensing frameworks to data quality, international identifiers, and CISAC professional rules. The program, tailored for emerging AV societies, also emphasized transparency, accurate documentation, and regional harmonization.

As part of the workshop on 11 December led by CISAC Regional Director for Central and Eastern Europe Mitko Chatalbashev, Mr. Gjozev delivered a presentation introducing AZAS and its current work, while also giving an overview of the copyright sector and legal framework in North Macedonia. His remarks contributed to the collective understanding of regional diversity and the shared challenges that new and developing societies face.

AZAS’s Perspective and Takeaways

Mr. Gjozev emphasized the direct value these events hold for AZAS and the broader audiovisual community in North Macedonia:

“Participating in the CISAC Budapest events was both inspiring and highly practical. I want to extend my sincere gratitude to CISAC for organizing these rich and focused discussions, and especially to the colleagues and speakers who openly shared their experience. These events allowed AZAS to deepen its understanding of international standards, to reflect on our national priorities, and to build relationships that will be crucial for our future development. We return from Budapest with renewed commitment and a clear sense of direction.”

Looking Ahead

The knowledge and strategies gathered at these events will be directly linked with AZAS’s institutional development, digital adaptation, and efforts to strengthen licensing and documentation practices. AZAS looks forward to maintaining the momentum built in Budapest and contributing to regional and international initiatives aimed at ensuring authors and audiovisual creators receive fair remuneration and protection in the digital age.

We thank CISAC for including AZAS in these high-level discussions and remain open for further cooperation and exchange.