CISAC General Assembly will meet in Sofia to put creators' rights top of the agenda of policymakers

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23 May 2025 – The General Assembly of CISAC, the creative sector’s largest global network representing more than 5 million creators, will take place in Sofia on 28 May 2025. Hosted for the first time in Bulgaria by music society MUSICAUTOR, the event will bring together creators and authors’ society leaders from across the globe.

Discussions will focus on safeguarding creators’ rights, promoting new income streams, improving data and ensuring effective copyright enforcement.

AI, and the need for transparency and copyright compliance by its developers, will dominate this year’s discussions.

Other key themes include the constant pressure on the value of creative works in the streaming market, weak copyright enforcement in some countries and challenges to the collective management system.

Speakers

CISAC’s President and ABBA co-founder Björn Ulvaeus, will deliver a streamed keynote speech, sharing insights into how AI can be a tool for creators, provided their rights are properly protected.

Participants will also meet with Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov to discuss the situation of the creative sector in Bulgaria.

Outgoing CISAC Chairman Marcelo Castello Branco, CISAC Director-General Gadi Oron, and MUSICAUTOR Chairman Iassen Kozev will speak on current activities and priorities.

AI tops the agenda

The General Assembly comes at a pivotal moment on AI, as governments worldwide consider legislation that will shape the future of the creative sector.

Using its global voice, CISAC has tabled more than 20 legal submissions to government consultations in the past year. It has also published the Global Economic Study on the impact of AI, released in December 2024.

The programme includes:

  • A presentation on CISAC’s global policy work on AI, including advocacy priorities: transparency obligations for AI operators, the requirement for authorisation by rights owners, and the fair remuneration of creators.
  • A panel on AI regulation and litigation, with confirmed panellists from GEMA, ADAGP, APRA AMCOS, PRS for Music, and RIAA.
  • A separate panel on AI works registration and addressing fraud, featuring speakers from BUMASTEMRA, KOMCA, and SACM.

Technology, transparency and creators' rights

The General Assembly will feature updates on CISAC’s technology services, including the planned upgrade to CIS-Net, a centralised system designed to improve data exchange, accuracy, and efficiency between member societies.

The General Assembly will be followed by the first-ever Creators’ Day taking place on 29 May, organised jointly with CISAC’s music creators’ council CIAM. The event will be dedicated to showcasing the role of creators in shaping copyright policy and active creator conversations from around the world.

CISAC’s Vice-Presidents, South African singer-songwriter Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Japanese painter Kazuhiko Fukuoji, Spanish screenwriter/director Ángeles González-Sinde Reig and Mexican composer Arturo Márquez, will engage in the discussions in Sofia as ambassadors for CISAC’s repertoires: music, visual arts, audiovisual, literature and drama.

They will join other leading creators and society heads for the creators’ perspective on AI, growth and opportunities in new and developing markets.

The General Assembly will also feature a dedicated session on the Central and Eastern European market, with confirmed panellists from ZAiKS, ARTISJUS, DACIN-SARA, and the University of Zagreb.

Support in Bulgaria and CE Europe

The General Assembly will be an opportunity to campaign for legislative changes and strengthen collaboration between CISAC, its Bulgarian member societies MUSICAUTOR and FILMAUTOR, and the government.

Bulgaria has a rich creative culture, renowned classical and folk music artists and internationally accomplished film directors and producers. However, the country underperforms as a source of collections for creators, due in part to weak rights enforcement, poor attention to copyright and an inadequate legal framework.

CISAC is supporting MUSICAUTOR campaign currently to introduce an effective private copying remuneration system in Bulgaria. Unlike many EU countries, Bulgaria lacks an effective regime.

Quotes

Ivan Dimitrov, CEO of MUSICAUTOR

“Bulgaria has an ancient culture— a legacy we are proud of, but one that can thrive only if it keeps pace with the times. The arrival of CISAC's GA 2025 in Sofia and the opportunity for MUSICAUTOR to host this global event allow us to align our clocks with the world — to work together and develop all the possibilities that will help us build upon the achievements of the past and elevate them for the future.”

Gadi Oron, Director General of CISAC:

“I am delighted that CISAC’s annual General Assembly will come to Bulgaria for the first time ever, and return to  Europe for the first time since 2018. We are deeply grateful to our member music society MUSICAUTOR for hosting this year’s event. Underpinning our discussions will be the critical challenge to the future of creators’ rights that our network is facing in all our areas of work. These range from the existential threat of an AI world without adequate protection of creators, to the disregard for copyright that still holds back the creative sector in many countries. We look forward to welcoming all our members and creators to join in this landmark meeting.”