The International Conference for the 30th anniversary of the Hellenic Copyright Organization (HCO) titled “Copyright in the Spotlight”, was held on March 7, 2025, at the “Dimitrios Pandermalis” Auditorium in the Acropolis Museum. Distinguished personalities from across Europe gathered to examine the challenges and the future of copyright.
The conference opened with a recorded message from the Minister of Culture, Ms. Lina Mendoni, who highlighted the importance of copyright in fostering creativity. The Minister recognized and praised the significant contributions of HCO over its 30 years of operation. Special reference was made to HCO’s decisive work in combating online piracy, which plays a critical role in protecting creators and maintaining legality in the digital environment.
The Minister also emphasized HCO’s contributions in education through initiatives that raise awareness and educate the academic community. She praised the expertise of HCO’s staff, highlighting their high level of training, which forms the foundation of the organization’s success. Lastly, she committed to strengthening and reorganizing HCO to enhance its functionality and efficiency, ensuring the smooth execution of its numerous responsibilities.
Next, Deputy Minister of Culture Mr. Iason Fotylas took the floor, underscoring the Ministry of Culture and Sports’ commitment to the continuous support of HCO. He stressed the importance of close collaboration with HCO, which has yielded significant results in protecting creators and copyright holders.
Particular emphasis was placed on the fight against piracy, a critical issue for safeguarding creators’ rights. The Deputy Minister praised HCO’s initiatives, such as the operation of the Committee for the Notification of Copyright and Related Rights Infringement on the Internet (EDPPI), which have decisively contributed to reducing the illegal distribution of content. He also referred to recent legislative changes addressing piracy, which strengthen the legal framework and impose stricter penalties on offenders. These changes, he noted, represent an important step toward protecting rights holders and strengthening legality in the digital space.
The Deputy Minister concluded by expressing confidence in HCO’s potential and the Ministry’s commitment to further enhancing their collaboration.
Continuing with the opening addresses, Mr. Panagiotis Tsiris, President of HCO, provided a thorough review of HCO’s journey and achievements over its 30 years of operation. He stated that HCO has been the cornerstone of copyright protection in Greece since 1994. Over time, HCO has expanded its work to include legislative processes, representation of Greece in international organizations, and daily collaboration with public and private entities.
Mr. Tsiris highlighted HCO’s key role in promoting awareness of legality and the use of legitimate content, as well as combating piracy through EDPPI. Additionally, HCO plays a central role in promoting awareness and the use of legitimate content through educational initiatives aimed at all levels of education.
He went on to state that HCO has taken over the supervision of the collective management of copyright and related rights, resolving significant issues and strengthening Greece’s international position through collaborations with organizations such as the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). Its actions in combating piracy have made it a model for other member states.
Finally, Mr. Tsiris expressed his gratitude to HCO’s staff for their dedication and professionalism, as well as to Director Ms. Maria-Daphne Papadopoulou for her pivotal role in the administration of HCO. He also extended warm thanks to the conference guests, whose presence reinforces collaboration and dialogue around copyright.
Dr. Maria-Daphne Papadopoulou, Deputy Director of HCO, highlighted the importance of HCO’s human resources, emphasizing that its personnel is the driving force behind its success. As part of improving HCO’s work, she stressed the need for reorganization so the organization can respond more effectively to its many responsibilities. Dr. Papadopoulou also stressed that HCO’s outreach is being actively promoted by opening channels of communication and collaboration with new partners.
Dr. Papadopoulou announced that one of HCO’s most important future initiatives will be the creation of a Mediation Center, which aims to offer an innovative platform for resolving copyright-related disputes.
Session 1: Current developments in copyright at the EU and international level
Sylvie Forbin, Deputy Director General of WIPO, opened the first session by emphasizing the role of copyright as a global pillar during times of rapid change. She stressed the need for flexible policies to address the challenges of the digital age while maintaining a balance between creators and users. She underscored the importance of collaboration among states and organizations in strengthening copyright protection globally.
Sabina Tsakova, Deputy Head of the Copyright Unit at DG Connect of the European Commission, examined copyright legislation trends in Europe, highlighting the direction for the future.
Žiga Drobnic, Copyright Specialist at EUIPO, concluded the first session by emphasizing that EUIPO’s Copyright Knowledge Center acts as an “umbrella,” covering all of EUIPO’s actions in this field. Its structure is based on six pillars, reflecting the activities already implemented by EUIPO and its Observatory.
Session 2: AI & Copyright
Dr. Silke von Lewinski of the Max Planck Institute analyzed the application of the DSM Directive to issues of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), focusing on the rights of exceptions (TDM). She referred to Article 4 of the DSM Directive and whether or not it can be applied to GenAI. She also presented licensing options that are beginning to be implemented.
See the presentation of Dr. Silke von Lewinski here.
Peter Mezei, Professor at Szeged University, argued that EU legal frameworks such as the Digital Single Market (DSM) Directive and the recently published AI Act create a multi-layered regulatory framework combining aspects of private and public law.
See the presentation of Peter Mezei here.
Alexander Peukert, Professor at Goethe University, presented developments in the Code of Good Practice for AI. He emphasized that the AI Act strengthens compliance through transparency policies and establishes the EU AI Office to oversee its implementation.
Alain Strowel, Professor at UCLouvain, presented an analysis of risks associated with AI, such as the phenomenon of “AI slop” and the collapse of AI models. He advocated for the creation of a dual compensation system for creators to address risks related to AI models.
See the presentation of Alain Strowel here.
Marina Markellou, Assistant Professor at the University of Groningen, analyzed the legal obligations of open-source developers under the framework of the EU AI Act.
See the presentation of Marina Markellou here.
Photos Session 1
Photos Session 2
The conference programme is available here.