IGF 2014

The session aims at identifying new trends in the production, distribution and sharing of creative content in the digital environment. We are in the middle of a great migration of content from analogue to digital. There is a change in roles of the different players along the value chain and an accompanying shift in how each of these players will be compensated for their work.
The online environment is providing access to an unprecedented, and, in some instances, overwhelming quantity of information and content. In the analogue environment, media, news, education, music, and gaming products are primarily created and distributed by the content industry. The Internet however is awash with a huge number of accessible creations generated by individuals. User-generated content (UGC) is experiencing a steady growth in terms of social and economic importance. The session will look at the main economic, legal and social challenges linked to emerging platforms and innovative business models flourishing on the web. In particular panelists will contribute to the ongoing debate around the intertwined relations between industry-generated content and UGC. Understanding their roles in sectors such as media, education or social networks will be crucial to approach challenges linked to IP regulation, both law and policy. Increasingly, media industry proactively engages with consumers and approaches UGC as an asset rather than an alternative to their business. Values of Paragraph 72 of the Tunis Agenda, such as “Facilitate the exchange of Information and best practices...” and “Identify emerging issues, bring them to the attention of the relevant bodies and the general public...” will serve as a framework for the discussion.