José and Hugo had a meeting with FEP’s leadership to discuss current issues and ongoing cooperation.
Hugo and José were also invited to attend the General Assembly of the publishers’ branch of the Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels, where Hugo had the opportunity to address the audience in German and speak about IPA’s work globally, especially in the fields of Copyright and Freedom to Publish, and the importance of international collaboration.
During his speech, Hugo quoted former IPA President Fernando Guedes, who writes in his book on the history of the IPA that “as early as the end of the 19th century, the German Publishers’ and Booksellers’ association was the first institution of the European book and publishing industry committed to the international protection of copyright and the illegal reproduction of intellectual property”.
After the GA, the Börsenverein had its “Mitgliederfest” or members party, where Hugo and José also had a chance to interact with German publishers. There was even the signing of the Charter for Accessible Publishing by German publisher Barbara Budrich.