Conference 2026
14th Conference on Authors' Rights 09.11.26
Generative AI: Call for a Sustainable and Fair Ecosystem
For the fourteenth time, the Authors' Rights Initiative is hosting the International Authors' Rights Conference in Berlin to discuss current issues facing the cultural and creative sectors in the age of generative AI with experts and industry representatives.
This year’s conference focuses on the theme “Generative AI: Call for a sustainable and fair ecosystem.” There will therefore be an update on Gen AI—from legal, political, media, legal policy, and cultural perspectives.
The number of in-person seats is limited; the conference will also be livestreamed. Confirmation of in-person attendance will be sent out in early October. We will provide simultaneous interpretation from German to English and from English to German.
Location:
Akademie der Künste at Pariser Platz
Pariser Platz 4
10117 Berlin
Time:
Monday, November 9, 2026
Doors open at 9:00 a.m.
Conference: 9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Program
9:00 a.m.
Admission
Reception with tea and coffee
Greetings
10:00 a.m.
Greeting
Matthias Hornschuh, Composer, IU Spokesperson
and Katharina Uppenbrink, Managing director Authors' Rights Initiative
Greeting
Prof. Manos Tsangaris, President of the Academy of Arts (via video)
Greeting
Mario Giordano, Author
Voices of Science
10:15 a.m.
Keynote – AI Update
Prof. Dr. Karl-Nikolaus Peifer, University of Cologne
Short presentation – Race to the Bottom: TDM Update from Computer Science
Prof. Dr. Sebastian Stober, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg
Shot presentation - AI, copyright, and the future of internet search
Prof. Dr. Philipp Hacker, European New School of Digital Studies
Short presentation – Populism, dark tech, the need for regulation: How we can survive the "media war"
Prof. Dr. Martin Andree, University of Cologne
11:20 a.m.
Break
AI and Politics in Fall 2025
11:40 a.m.
Keynote
Federal Minister of Justice and Consumer Protection Dr. Stefanie Hubig, BMJV
Welcome address
Dr. Konrad Schmidt-Werthern, Secretary General of the Federal Ministry for Culture and the Media
Statement
Nathanael Liminski, Minister for Federal and European Affairs, International Affairs, and Media (NRW) (via video)
Statement
Renate Nikolay, European Commission (via video)
Statement
Axel Voss, MEP (via video)
12:50 p.m.
Questions
Statement on the “Hirschhausen case”
Götz Schneider-Rothhaar, SKW Schwarz Lawyers
Impulse - “My face belongs to me. So does my voice. A plea for the regulation of AI deep fakes”
Dr. Eckart von Hirschhausen (via video)
1:00 p.m.
Lunch Break
Thinking Outside the Box
1:45 p.m.
Impulse – Political dimensions of dealing with generative AI in culture, media, and knowledge work
Prof. Dr. Petra Gehring, TU Darmstadt
Keynote – AI & Politics: the good, the useless and the ugly
Prof. Dr. Daniel Mügge, University of Amsterdam
Statement - GenAI: Update Denmark
Karen Rønde, CEO, Danish Press Publications' CMO (DPCMO)
Update from Alicante
Harrie Temmink, EUIPO (via video)
And what does that mean in particular?
2:45 p.m.
Introduction to the PANEL - AI policy and copyright: how national actors in Europe can shape the legal framework now
Sabine Richly, Moderator, Media Law Digital
PANEL 1
Dr. Amit Datta, Aleph Alpha
Jean-Philippe Mochon, CSPLA – Ministère de la culture France
Prof. Dr. Philipp Hacker, European New School of Digital Studies
Karen Rønde Danish Press Publications' CMO (DPCMO)
Stefanie Eisenschenk, Screenwriter
3:20 p.m.
Contribution - Regulatory approaches: Input and output
Dr. Robert Staats, VG WORT
Contribution - Update on lawsuits - national and international
Dr. Kai Welp, GEMA
3:50
Break
4:20 p.m.
PANEL 2 – AI policy from and for Germany – what do the ministries say?
Robert Heinrich, Federal Ministry for Digital Transformation and Government Modernisation
Dr. Stephanie Schulz-Hombach, Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media
Dr. Christian Meyer-Seitz, Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection
Discussion
Prospects
5:00 p.m.
Assessments from the German Parliament
Ansgar Heveling, MdB (CDU)
Martin Rabanus, MdB (SPD)
Impulse - Update: AI and media antitrust law
Prof. Dr. Thomas Höppner, Geradin Partners
conclusion
Matthias Hornschuh, Composer, IU Spokesperson
and Katharina Uppenbrink, Managing director Authors` Rights Initiative
5:30 p.m.
End
Followed by: Short champagne reception to celebrate the 25th anniversary
We reserve the right to make changes!
The program is continuously updated.
Speakers
© Rasmus Tanck
© Tobias Koch
Dr. Eckart von Hirschhausen
More Infos
© Sebastian Linder
Nathanael Liminski
Minister for Federal and European Affairs, International Affairs, and Media (NRW)
More Infos
© BMJ
Dr. Konrad Schmidt-Werthern
Secretary General of the Federal Ministry for Culture and the Media
More Infos
© Julia Krüger
© Jana Dünnhaupt / Uni Magdeburg
© gezett
© gezett
Our partners
The 14th Copyright Conference is supported by the Initiative Musik
Funded by Initiative Musik gemeinnützige Projektgesellschaft mbH with project funds from the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media.