Support for the collective management rights system in Armenia: exchange of EU and international best practices

Target Country: Armenia
IPR area: Awareness-raising

Collective Management Organisations (CMOs) play a vital role in facilitating access to creative works, ensuring fair remuneration of authors and performers, and supporting cultural diversity. Under Armenian law (Law of the Republic of Armenia on Copyright and Related Rights, article 63) non‑profit organisations may be established to administer economic rights where individual administration is impractical. Despite this legal basis, Armenia’s collective management sector remains relatively under‑developed, with limited capacities in governance, licensing, royalty collection and distribution and not all sectors covered because of a lack of associations.

EU legislation such as Directive 2014/26/EU on collective management of copyright and related rights sets standards for transparency, accountability and cross‑border licensing. By exchanging EU and international best practices, Armenia can strengthen its CMO framework, enhance rights‑holder protection and build confidence among creators, users and the public.

This activity will facilitate the exchange of EU and international best practices in collective rights management through:
-    a round‑table workshop hosted in Yerevan with participation from EU experts, collective management organisations, rights‑holder associations and Armenian stakeholders;
-    presentations and discussions on governance, licensing strategies, multi‑territory agreements, royalty collection and distribution, transparency and dispute‑resolution mechanisms;
-    sharing best practices and recommendations tailored for Armenia’s CMO environment;
-    mentoring and guidance with an EU CMO and/or other EU expertise to support specific improvements (governance, licensing or rights‑holder outreach) in the Armenian context.