All Time

1886

1886

World IP/FtP/ book-related developments

Berne Convention For The Protection Of Literary And Artistic Works first signed by Belgium, France, Germany, Haiti, Italy, Liberia, Spain, Switzerland, Tunisia, and the United Kingdom.

1887

1887

World IP/FtP/ book-related developments

Net price principle, where publishers offer booksllers a discount as long as books are sold at no less than a price fixed by the publisher, adopted in Germany.

Creation of United International Bureaux for the Protection of Intellectual Property in Bern
1893

1893

World IP/FtP/ book-related developments

Creation of United International Bureaux for the Protection of Intellectual Property in Bern (BRPI) with a staff complement of 7.

1896: Georges Masson (1839–1900), France
1896

1896 | Paris

IPA President

Georges Masson (FR)

 

IPA Secretary General

Lucien Layus – honorary

 

Other IPA notable occasions

IPA founded as International Publishers Congress, based in Paris.

 

World IP/FtP/ book-related developments

Berne Convention first version completed on 4 May at Paris.

1897: Emile Bruylant (1839–1926), Belgium
1897

1897 | Bruxelles

IPA President

Emile Bruylant (BE)

1899: John Murray (1851–1928), UK
1899

1899 | London

IPA President

John Murray (UK)

1901

1901 | Leipzig

IPA President

Albert Brockhaus (DE)

 

IPA Secretary General

Alfred Melly

 

Other IPA notable occasions

IPA office moves to Berne (Place du Théâtre 2).

1906: Tito Ricordi (1865–1933), Italy
1906

1906 | Milan

IPA President

Tito Ricordi (IT)

IPA – Compte rendu 7th Congress Amsterdam 1910
1908

1910 | Amsterdam

IPA President

W.P. van Stockum (NL)

Madrid
1908

1908 | Madrid

IPA President

José Ruiz Lôpez (ES)

IPA Book – Technical Vocabulary of Publishing in 7 languages
1913

1913 | Budapest

IPA President

Georges Masson (FR)

 

Other IPA notable occasions

IPA publishes: Technical Vocabulary of Publishing in Seven Languages.

1921

1921 | Paris

World IP/FtP/ book-related developments

PEN International founded in London.

1910: Wilhelmus Petrus van Stockum (1848–1927), Netherlands
1922

1922

IPA President

W.P. van Stockum (NL)

 

IPA Secretary General

R. von Stürler

 

World IP/FtP/ book-related developments

League of Nations creates the International Committee on Intellectual Cooperation (later UNESCO).

1927: Ove Tryde (1870–1956), Denmark
1927

1927

IPA President

Ove Tryde (DK)

1931: Louis Hachette (1870–1941), France
1931

1931 | Paris

IPA President

Louis Hachette (FR)

 

Other IPA notable occasions

IPA office moves to Geneva (5, Avenue Marc-Monnier).

Nazi book burnings.
1933

1933 | Brussels

IPA President

Théophile Zech-Levie (BE)

 

World IP/FtP/ book-related developments

Nazi book burnings.

1935
1935

1935

World IP/FtP/ book-related developments

In the UK, Allen, John and Richard Lane found Penguin Books with the intention of making cheap paperbacks available.

1936

1936

Photo of attendees at the 1936 Congress, Photo of Stanley Unwin
Photo of attendees at the 1936 Congress, Photo of Stanley Unwin

IPA President

Stanley Unwin (UK).

1938: Karl Baur (1898–1984), Germany
1938

1938 | Leipzig

IPA President

Karl Baur (DE).

1946

1946

Logo Unesco 1945
Logo Unesco 1945

World IP/FtP/ book-related developments

The International Committee on Intellectual Cooperation becomes the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

1936: Stanley Unwin (1884–1968) UK
1947

1947

IPA President

Stanley Unwin (UK).

1948

1948

World IP/FtP/ book-related developments

Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 10 December 1948 Berne Convention, Brussels Text adopted, remaining in force in some countries even after the 1967 Stockholm and 1971 Paris revisions, until WTO TRIPS 1994.

1949
1949

1949

World IP/FtP/ book-related developments

First post-war Frankfurt Book Fair held in St. Paul’s Church.

1950
1950

1950

World IP/FtP/ book-related developments

UNESCO Florence Agreement on the Importation of Educational, Scientific and Cultural Materials approved.

1952
1952

1952

IPA Secretary General

Hans Conzett (1915 – 1996) – honorary.

 

Other IPA notable occasions

IPA office moves to Zurich.

 

World IP/FtP/ book-related developments

Universal Copyright Convention adopted in Berne, Switzerland.

World Copyright Volumes I-V
1953

1953

Other IPA notable occasions

International Publishers Congress renamed as International Publishers Association.

 

1954

1954 | Zürich

IPA President

Gustav Keckeis (CH).

1956–1959: Antonio Vallardi (1882–1965), Italy
1956

1956 | Florence

IPA President

Antonio Vallardi (IT).

Vienna
1959

1959 | Vienna

IPA President

Fritz Ross (AT).

Penguin Books. Lady Chatterley's Lover.
1960

1960

World IP/FtP/ book-related developments

Penguin Books is unsuccessfully prosecuted under the UK’s Obscene Publications Act 1959 for the publication of D. H. Lawrence’s 1928 novel Lady Chatterley’s Lover.

1961

1961

OECD logotype
OECD logotype

World IP/FtP/ book-related developments

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) founded Adoption of Rome Convention for the Protection of Performers, Producers of Phonograms and Broadcasting Organizations administered jointly by WIPO, International Labour Organization (ILO), and UNESCO.

1962 | Barcelona
1962

1962 | Barcelona

IPA President

Santiago Salvat Espasa (ES).

 

 

Avenue de Miremont 3, in Geneva, Switzerland
1963

1963

IPA Secretary General

M. C. J. Hjalmar Pehrsson.

 

Other IPA notable occasions

IPA relocates to Geneva (Avenue Miremont 3).

 

World IP/FtP/ book-related developments

First edition of Bologna Children’s Book Fair.

1964 | Washington
1964

1964 | Washington

IPA President

Storer Lunt (USA).

 

Other IPA notable occasions

IPA creates Educational Publishing Group.

1967

1967

World IP/FtP/ book-related developments

Berne Convention Stockholm Conference, revision of the Berne Convention, Brussels Text, to be completed in 1971 at Paris.

Amsterdam
1968

1968 | Amsterdam

IPA President

Ernest Lefebvre (NL)

 

Other IPA notable occasions

STM Group established within IPA

 

World IP/FtP/ book-related developments

Groupement des éditeurs de livres de la Communauté (GELC) founded, becoming the Federation of European Publishers in 1990.

Cairo
1969

1969

IPA Secretary General

Alexis Koutchoumow.

 

World IP/FtP/ book-related developments

First edition of Cairo International Book Fair.

1970

1970

WIPO logotype 1970
WIPO logotype 1970

World IP/FtP/ book-related developments

United International Bureaux for the Protection of Intellectual Property becomes the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) based in Geneva.

1971

1971

World IP/FtP/ book-related developments

The first edition of the Specialist Publishers’ Exhibition for Librarians is held in London, becoming The London Book Fair in 1977. Berne Convention, Paris Text adopted: the current version of the Convention, with the Berne Annex, valid for some countries until adoption of the WTO TRIPS Agreement in 1994 and for some countries still today.

1972

1972 | Paris

Index logotype
Index logotype

IPA President

John Boon (UK)

 

World IP/FtP/ book-related developments

First edition of Index on Censorship published, UNESCO Year of the Book.

1976 | Kyoto
1976

1976 | Kyoto

IPA President

Per A. Sjögren (SE)

 

World IP/FtP/ book-related developments

Nairobi Protocol to the Florence Agreement approved.

1978

1978

World IP/FtP/ book-related developments

Grupo Ibero-Americano de Editores (GIE) founded.

1980 | Stockholm
1980

1980 | Stockholm

IPA President

Manuel Salvat Dalmau (ES)

 

World IP/FtP/ book-related developments

Reprography Rights working group created by the Copyright Committees of the International Publishers Association and STM – the group later becomes the International Federation of Reprographic Rights Organisations.

First edition of the Salon du Livre de Paris (renamed Livre Paris in 2016).
1981

1981

World IP/FtP/ book-related developments

First edition of the Salon du Livre de Paris (renamed Livre Paris in 2016).

IPA Publishing News 1984
1984

1984 | Mexico City

IPA President

Johan Somerwil (NL).

IPA Publishing News 1984

Flyers from 100 years of Berne Convention.
1986

1986

Other IPA notable occasions

1st IPA Copyright Symposium, Heidelberg.

 

World IP/FtP/ book-related developments

IPA & STM Copyright Committees form Joint Copyright Working Group – later the International Publishing Associations Coordination Committee (IPACC) with FEP, EPC and others.

Flyers from 100 years of Berne Convention.

1987

1987

World IP/FtP/ book-related developments

First edition of Guadalajara International Book Fair, Article 19 founded in London.

23rd Congress of the IPA – London – Congress Digest
1988

1988 | London

IPA President

Andrew Neilly (USA)

 

World IP/FtP/ book-related developments

International Federation for Reproduction Rights Organisations (IFRRO) formally established USA becomes signatory to the Berne Convention.

23rd Congress of the IPA – London – Congress Digest

1990

1990

Federation of European Publishers logotype
Federation of European Publishers logotype

Other IPA notable occasions

2nd IPA Copyright Symposium, Paris.

 

World IP/FtP/ book-related developments

GELC becomes Federation of European Publishers .

1992–1996: Fernando Guedes (1929–2016), Portugal
1992

1992 | New Delhi

IPA President

Fernando Guedes (PT)

 

World IP/FtP/ book-related developments

IFEX founded in 1992 in Canada, African Publishers Network (APNET) and Asia Pacific Publishers Association founded.

Norwegian publisher William Nygaard
1993

1993

World IP/FtP/ book-related developments

Norwegian publisher William Nygaard shot 3 times outside his home for publishing Salman Rushdie’s The Satanic Verses Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Rio de Janeiro results in a multilateral treaty.

Piracy of Intellectual Property and the Measures Needed to Counter it
1994

1994

Other IPA notable occasions

‘3rd IPA Copyright Symposium, Turin, STM Association established in the Hague.

 

World IP/FtP/ book-related developments

Amazon.com founded. Russian Federation joins the Berne Convention.

Piracy of Intellectual Property and the Measures Needed to Counter it

1996–2000: Alain Gründ (1939–), France
1996

1996 | Barcelona

IPA President

Alain Gründ (FR).

 

Other IPA notable occasions

IPA Centenary Celebrations in Barcelona IPA. Vice Presidents: Pere Vicens (ES), Charles Ellis (USA).

 

World IP/FtP/ book-related developments

Adoption of WIPO Copyright Treaty (WCT).

1998
1998

1998

 

Other IPA notable occasions

‘4th IPA Copyright Symposium, Tokyo.

 

World IP/FtP/ book-related developments

Digital Millenium Media Copyright Act adopted. Google founded.

1999

1999

IPA Secretary General

Benoît Müller.

2000–2004: Pere Vicens Rahola (1939–), Spain
2000

2000 | Buenos Aires

IPA President

Pere Vicens (ES).

 

Other IPA notable occasions

IPA Vice Presidents: Asoke K Ghosh (IN), Ana Maria Cabanellas (AR).

 

World IP/FtP/ book-related developments

Cartagena Protocol to the CBD adopted.

2001
2001

2001

World IP/FtP/ book-related developments

Madrid becomes first UNESCO World Book Capital City, a program instigated by IPA President Pere Vicens. IPA is an ongoing member of the WBCC advisory committee.

2002

2002

Other IPA notable occasions

‘5th IPA Copyright Symposium, Accra.

Jens Bammel, 2003
2003

2003

IPA Secretary General

Jens Bammel.

2004 | Berlin
2004

2004 | Berlin

IPA President

Ana María Cabanellas (AR).

 

Other IPA notable occasions

First female IPA President. IPA Vice Presidents: Richard Rudick (USA), Herman Spruijt (NL).

2005

2005

Other IPA notable occasions

IPA launches Freedom to Publish Prize, later renamed the Prix Voltaire.

 

World IP/FtP/ book-related developments

ASEAN Book Publishers Association founded.

Shalah Lahiji (IR) awarded Prix Voltaire
2006

2006

Other IPA notable occasions

6th IPA Copyright Symposium, Montreal, Shalah Lahiji (IR) awarded Prix Voltaire.

 

World IP/FtP/ book-related developments

Wattpad founded in Canada, Storytel founded in Sweden.

Trevor Ncube (ZW) awarded Prix Voltaire.
2007

2007

Other IPA notable occasions

Trevor Ncube (ZW) awarded Prix Voltaire.

 

World IP/FtP/ book-related developments

Amazon Kindle launched.

2008

2008 | Seoul

IPA Publishers Congress Seoul 2008
IPA Publishers Congress Seoul 2008

IPA President

Herman Spruijt (NL).

 

Other IPA notable occasions

IPA relocates to new Geneva offices (Avenue de France 23), Ragip Zarakolu (TR) awarded Prix Voltaire. IPA Vice Presidents: Herman Spruijt (NL). Yu Kanehara (JP).

Sihem Bensedrine (TN) awarded Prix Voltaire
2009

2009

Other IPA notable occasions

Sihem Bensedrine (TN) awarded Prix Voltaire. IPA creates Educational Publishers Forum.

2010

2010

New WIPO logotype, 2010.
New WIPO logotype, 2010.

IPA President

YS Chi (USA).

 

Other IPA notable occasions

7th IPA Copyright Symposium, Abu Dhabi, I. Shovkhalov & V. Kogan-Yasni of DOSH (Chechnya-RU) awarded Prix Voltaire. IPA Vice Presidents: Ibrahim el Moallem (EG), Alain Kouck (FR).

Bui Chat (VN) awarded Prix Voltaire.
2011

2011

Other IPA notable occasions

Bui Chat (VN) awarded Prix Voltaire.

2012

2012 | Cape Town

Cape Town Congress 2012
Cape Town Congress 2012

Other IPA notable occasions

Jonathan “Zapiro” Shapiro (ZA) awarded Prix Voltaire. EPF launches ‘What Works?’ conference at London Book Fair.

 

World IP/FtP/ book-related developments

WIPO’s Beijing Treaty on Audiovisual Performances adopted.

2013

2013

Other IPA notable occasions

IPA Vice Presidents: Ibrahim el Moallem (EG), Richard Charkin (UK).

 

World IP/FtP/ book-related developments

Adoption of the WIPO’s Marrakesh VIP Treaty.

Ihar Lohvinau (BY) awarded Prix Voltaire.
2014

2014

Other IPA notable occasions

Ihar Lohvinau (BY) awarded Prix Voltaire.

IPA President, Richard Charkin (UK). IPA Secretary General, José Borghino.
2015

2015 | Bangkok

IPA President

Richard Charkin (UK).

 

IPA Secretary General

José Borghino.

 

Other IPA notable occasions

IPA Vice President: Michiel Kolman (NL).

 

World IP/FtP/ book-related developments

Bangladeshi publisher, Faisal Arefin Dipan murdered because of books he published. Gui Minhai disappears from his appartment in Thailand.

2016

2016 | London

International Publishers Congress London 2016
International Publishers Congress London 2016

Other IPA notable occasions

Raif Badawi (SA) awarded Prix Voltaire. Revised IPA Statutes create new independent Copyright, Freedom to Publish, and Membership Committees.

 

World IP/FtP/ book-related developments

European Union General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) adopted.

IPA President, Michiel Kolman (NL).
2017

2017

IPA President

Michiel Kolman (NL).

 

Other IPA notable occasions

Turhan Günay and Evrensel awarded Prix Voltaire. IPA Vice President: Hugo Setzer (MX). IPA joins CLA, FEP, PA, and PLS in sponsoring the annual Charles Clark Memorial Lecture. IPA joins IFRRO’s International PLR Committee. IPA partners with WIPO to produce annual global publishing statistics reports

 

Gui Minhai (SE/CN) awarded Prix Voltaire
2018

2018 | New Delhi

Other IPA notable occasions

Gui Minhai (SE/CN) awarded Prix Voltaire, Faisal Arefin Dipan and Liu Xiaobo awarded posthumous Prix Voltaire Special Awards. 1st IPA Regional Seminar, Lagos.

 

IPA President, Hugo Setzer (MX).
2019

2019

IPA President

Hugo Setzer (MX).

 

Other IPA notable occasions

Khaled Lotfy (EG) awarded Prix Voltaire, 2nd IPA Regional Seminar, Nairobi, 3rd IPA Regional Seminar, Amman. IPA Vice President: Bodour Al Qasimi.

 

World IP/FtP/ book-related developments

SDG Book Club launches at Bologna Children’s Book Fair,
European Union Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market adopted

 

2020

2020 | Lillehammer (cancelled)

33rd International Publishers Congress, Lillehammer, Norway
33rd International Publishers Congress, Lillehammer, Norway

Other IPA notable occasions

Liberal Publishing House (VN) awarded Prix Voltaire. IPA holds first ever online General Assembly with great success.

 

World IP/FtP/ book-related developments

IPA-United Nations launch the Sustainable Development Goals Publishers Compact.

 

IPA President, Bodour Al Qasimi (UAE).
2021

2021

IPA President

Bodour Al Qasimi (UAE).

 

Other IPA notable occasions

IPA Vice President: Karine Pansa. IPA membership comprises 86 organisations from 71 countres.

 

World IP/FtP/ book-related developments

SDG Book Club launches at Bologna Children’s Book Fair,
European Union Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market adopted