The ALAI European Author’s Right Award, supported by GESAC
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The call for applications for the 2024/2025 edition is open until 30 November!
Following the success of the 6th edition of the ALAI European Authors’ Right Award, supported by GESAC, we are pleased to announce that the 7th edition of the Award has been launched!
Are you a law student currently studying or researching authors’ right/copyright? If so, we encourage you to apply for the 7th edition of the ALAI European Authors’ Right Award – supported by GESAC!
The prize, which amounts €2,000 to the winner and €1,000 to the second winner (if awarded), is awarded annually to the best essay related to authors’ rights/copyright with a European dimension.
=> Full eligibility criteria and prize details (French version).
=> Application form (French version).
Questions, application forms, abstracts, and essays are to be sent to: alai.award@gesac.org
* The jury reserves the right not to name a winner if the quality of the essays is deemed insufficient.
* These texts are the work of students and may not always reflect the views of ALAI and GESAC.
About the Award
In the spirit of inspiring the next generation of Intellectual Property experts, ALAI, with the support of GESAC, have launched an annual award for students. The annual award is given to the writer of the best essay relating to authors’ right. The essay should have a European dimension and include elements related to the collective management of authors’ right.
ALAI is an independent learned society dedicated to studying and discussing legal issues arising in connection with the protection of the interests of creative individuals. Copyright and performing artists’ rights are today an integral part of fundamental human rights as enshrined in several international conventions, declarations and charters.
GESAC stands for European Grouping of Societies of Authors and Composers. GESAC comprises 32 authors’ societies from all over Europe. Together, we represent over one million creators and rightsholders – from authors to composers, visual artists to film directors and many more, in the areas of musical, audiovisual, visual arts, and literary and dramatic works.
Jury Members
The jury for the 2025 edition of the award is chaired by
- Professor Frank Gotzen, President of ALAI
and is comprised of two ALAI representatives:
- Paul Torremans, Professor of Intellectual Property Law, University of Nottingham
- Yves Gaubiac, Lawyer, Lecturer at Panthéon-Assas University, Paris 2
and two representatives of GESAC:
- Caroline Bonin, Head of Legal Affairs, SACEM
- Gábor Faludi, outside Counsel for Artisjus, Associate Professor ELTE Law School Civil Law Department
Sixth edition of the ALAI Award
2024
The 2024 edition of the ALAI European Authors’ Right Award, supported by GESAC, was awarded to Gaël Maupertuis for his essay “Les copies hors ligne dans le streaming musical par abonnement : part du droit exclusif d’exploitation ou exception au droit d’auteur ?”*
*English translation: “Offline copies in subscription music streaming: part of the exclusive right of exploitation or exception to copyright?”
Mr. Gaël Maupertuis studies at Nantes University (France), where he is completing is second master in Intellectual Property Law.
Read the winning essay here (for the time being, only available in French)
Fifth edition of the ALAI Award
2023
The 2023 edition of the ALAI European Authors’ Right Award, supported by GESAC, was awarded to Javier Fernández-Lasquetty Martín for his essay “Two models of rights management in digital journalism“.
Mr. Fernández-Lasquetty Martín is a Ph.D. candidate at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, where he completed two masters, one of them being a specialization in Intellectual Property Law. His essay explored one of the European Union’s most discussed issues regarding copyright – the issue of remuneration in the digital journalism sector, which is jeopardizing the press sector’s sustainability.
Read the winning essay here (for the time being, only available in English) and watch the interview with Mr. Fernández-Lasquetty Martín to learn more about his decision to pursue his studies in the area of copyright law, his reasoning for selecting this particular topic, his thoughts on copyright, and much more.
The winner of the fifth edition was honoured during a remarkable evening at the opening cocktail reception of the 2023 ALAI Congress on June 21 in Paris.
The press release from GESAC on the prize ceremony is accessible here.
A photo gallery from the 2023 ALAI Award Ceremony is on view below.
2023 ALAI Award Ceremony / Photo: ©FrankPaul
Fourth edition of the ALAI Award
2022
Ms Andrée Glancia Madinda received the fourth edition of the ALAI European Authors’ Right Award, supported by GESAC for her essay “L’exception de fouille de textes et de données dans la directive DAMUN : avis de tempête sur le droit d’auteur”(“The text and data mining exception in the Directive on copyright in the digital single market: a stormy outlook for author’s rights”). The winning essay was published in both French and English in the La Revue Internationale du Droit d’Auteur, online and in print!
Watch the interview with Ms. Madinda and learn more about her work’s findings.
The award ceremony for the second, third, and fourth editions took place on September 15th, 2022, at the ALAI Congress in Estoril.
The GESAC press release about the prize ceremony may be seen here.
A photo gallery from the 2022 Award Ceremony is on view below.
2022 Award Ceremony
Third edition of the ALAI Award
2021
Mr Seun Lari-Williams won the third edition of the ALAI European Authors’ Right Award, supported by GESAC for his essay “Bridging the Value Gap Between Content Creators and Digital Media Platforms: A Case Study of YouTube”. The winning essay was published in both French and English in the La Revue Internationale du Droit d’Auteur.
To listen to ALAI European Authors’ Right Award, supported by GESAC winner Seun Lari-Williams talking about his essay’s findings, as well his background practicing law in his native Nigeria and how the pandemic has affected the country’s creative economy click here.
Second edition of the ALAI Award
2020
The 2020 ALAI European Authors’ Right Award, supported by GESAC went to Mr Thomas Verborgh for his essay titled “Multi-territorial licensing of rights in music for online use: an early evaluation”.
Watch the interview with Mr Verborgh and learn more about the winner and his work’s findings.
First edition of the ALAI Award
2019
Dr Hannes Henke won the 2019 ALAI European Authors’ Right Award, supported by GESAC, for his essay “E-books in German and European copyright law: backgrounds-contrasts-effects”.
Read more about the first edition of the ALAI European Authors’ Right Award, supported by GESAC here.
A photo gallery from the 2019 Award Ceremony is on view below.
2019 Award Ceremony
