From its first year, members called to countries to eliminate custom duties to intellectual products,[14] and the tenth Congress in 1933 dealt for the first time with book fairs.
[9] The Congrès International des Editeurs du Film had already formed in 1909 to address concerns about the creation, copyright and distribution of moving pictures.
[15] Now Geoffrey Faber, an English publisher, raised concerns about the potential impact of new technologies for sound recording, in his presentation on "Use of the Book on Radio and Voice Machines", warning that "the speed of this change has been increased enormously by the transformations that science brings about in the material conditions of civilised life" and fearing that "the habit of reading may be compromised or displaced to sorne extent by a new custom in direct competition with the old one".
[17] As an industry association IPA continues to deal with a range of issues affecting publishers, such as standards, accessibility,[18][19][20][21] collective licensing,[22] piracy,[23][24] textbook procurement policy, VAT,[25][26] professional training,[27] literacy, promotion of reading,[28] and book fairs.
[34] As of 2023[update] IFEX has over 100 member organizations in 80 countries and monitors and reports violations using an Action Alert Network (AAN).
IPA has worked with the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO), UNESCO, and others to collect and analyze international publishing data.
[47] The most used international standards include ISBN and ISSN a unique multi-digit identifier for individual books and periodicals, respectively (both print and electronic).
In its resolution, the Congress expressed the need for reform in the freedom to publish in Burma/Myanmar, China, Iran, and Vietnam, calling for the immediate release of publishers, writers, journalists and bloggers in prison or under house arrest for having exercised their rights to freedom of expression.
The first Copyright Symposium was held in 1986, Heidelberg, Germany, to mark the centenary of the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works.
[57] From 28 February to 1 March 2010, Abu Dhabi hosted the 7th Copyright Symposium, held for the first time in the Arab world.
The statement raises the concern that once materials are available digitally it is hard to monitor how many copies are produced, which is an infringement of copyright legislation.
[58] During the 2000s, a number of initiatives relating to defamation of religion were put forward by the UN Ad Hoc Committee on Complementary Standards on behalf of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and others.
In 2011-2013, the General Assembly passed resolutions that affirmed protection from the commission or incitement of "incidents of intolerance, discrimination and violence against persons based on their religion or belief".
[60] IPA has been involved in discussions with the World Blind Union (WBU) and other groups addressing accessibility for persons with print disabilities.
[63] Collaboration in this forum was suspended after disagreements over the negotiation of an international treaty dealing with access to copyright works for people with blindness or visual impairment (PBVIs).
On February 26, 2011, the WBU withdrew from the WIPO Stakeholders’ Platform and its associated projects, pending an international legal framework to address PBVIs' access to copyrighted works.
[64] The World Blind Union and the International Publishers Association substantially differed in their responses to proposals from the 23rd session of the Standing Committee of Copyright and Related Rights.
IPA considers books should be “zero-rated.”[25] Such policies have been already implemented in countries including the UK, Norway, Korea, Mexico, and Thailand.
[72] IPA tries to make sure the rights of freedom of expression and publisher’s positive impact relating to such cultural material are not threatened.
These international treaties allow for the free circulation of educational, scientific, and cultural materials without customs fees.
The title of World Book Capital can be used to promote the winning city and its events and is also a symbolic achievement.
[80] World Book Capitals include:[80] The IPA is a federation of national, regional and specialist publishers' associations.
[91] Secretaries general have included the following: Since 2005, the IPA has awarded the Freedom to Publish Prize, renamed the Prix Voltaire in 2016.